Nkechinyere Ewa
The All Progressives Congress (APC) House of Representatives candidate for Afikpo/Edda Federal Constituency in the 2027 general election, Joseph Ekumankama, has pledged to prioritise quality representation, human capital development, education, healthcare and infrastructure if elected.
Ekumankama made the commitment while speaking on his political ambition during Iyi Akpoke Oke new yam celebration in Edda on Tuesday, saying his ultimate goal was to give the people of Afikpo/Edda effective representation at the National Assembly.
He said he would also support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration in implementing policies and completing ongoing development projects across the country and the South-East.
According to him, the development of infrastructure in Ebonyi State, particularly road projects, had demonstrated the impact of the Federal Government’s ongoing interventions.
Ekumankama said his focus would extend beyond infrastructure to education, healthcare and human capital development, stressing that the people would be actively involved in determining the projects and programmes they needed most.
“I will engage with the people every quarter to have serious stakeholders’ meetings where the people will say, ‘This is what we want.’ It will not be a case of what I want,” he said.
The APC candidate explained that although a federal lawmaker had a limited constituency-project resources, effective consultation with constituents would help ensure that available resources were channelled to projects with the greatest impact.
On the possibility of having a single candidate from Edda among the three aspirants contesting the position, Ekumankama said he was willing to engage with the other aspirants towards achieving political unity.
He, however, said if efforts to produce a consensus candidate failed, the people would ultimately decide who would represent them.
Ekumankama, former honorable Minister of State for health also described the blessing and endorsement he received from traditional rulers and community leaders as significant to his political aspiration, saying it demonstrated their confidence in his character and ability to represent the constituency.
He pledged to maintain peaceful politics, insisting that he had no interest in violence or bloodshed.
“I am a man of peace. I don’t play politics of violence or bloodshed,” Ekumankama said, adding that he would soon unveil his manifesto detailing his plans for the constituency.
He assured the people of Afikpo/Edda that his ambition was centred on providing “the best possible representation” and ensuring that his decisions in the National Assembly reflected the aspirations and needs of his constituents.