By Moses Okorie
The councillorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for Garki Ward of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) in the February 21 FCT Council Elections, Dr. Okechukwu Ironkwe, has explained that he is contesting for the seat just to get a platform to enhance his humanitarian services, and not for personal aggrandizement.
Ironkwe made this explanation in an interview with our Correspondent on Thursday in Abuja saying it provides him the opportunity to interact and meet the people one-on-one at that local level.
According to him, “I believe that when given the opportunity to serve as their councilor, I will be able to do more because that provides a much larger platform that will help me use the office of governance to further touch lives, and create specific interventions that will be of direct benefit to our communities.
“For me to serve as councilor at the community level provides me that opportunity to communicate, associate with people at that local level. And I see it as a very good way to start my political career.
“Most of the challenges we have today are embedded in our local communities. And the local council government, of course, is the closest governance to the communities. And that is why I feel that this is time for us to redefine what leadership is and begin to provide direction in terms of what leadership should be at the grassroots.”
The medical doctor talked about how he changed from being candidate of the Labour Party to that of the ADC, saying “We went through primaries of the Labour Party, and those primaries went well. We had expected that our names would be uploaded by INEC, only for us to realise that we were not uploaded.
“And in a very rapid manner, there was a progression by other political parties to source for candidates who could replace their placeholders. And ADC was one of those parties that came shopping, and we had to form this coalition with them.
“We went through the processes, and by a court ruling, instructing INEC to upload us on the ADC platform, that is why I am the flagbearer of the party at Garki Ward level”.
Okechukwu Ironkwe revealed that he has been in Garki Ward for over 20 years, providing healthcare services across the communities. In terms of education, he said he has been able to touch lives to ensure that some of the out-of-school children are sponsored back to school.
“I have provided quite a number of training to professionals within primary healthcare centres, private facilities in our communities, and I have also conducted intervention programmes in terms of system building and strengthening their staff capabilities.
On the election day, Ironkwe called on the people to ensure they cast their votes, defend their votes and see that there is no atom of rigging.
Recall that the Federal High Court in Abuja last Tuesday ordered the INEC to publish the names of candidates submitted by the ADC for the February 21 Area Council elections in the FCT.
The court directed INEC to grant the ADC electronic access to upload the names of the candidates on its portal, relying on Sections 29(1), 31, 33 and 84(1)(5)(6) of the Electoral Act 2022, as well as INEC’s election guidelines.
Justice Umar listed those to be uploaded as are Chibuike Anyika, Okechukwu Ironkwe, Godwin Adoga, Agada John, Onuoha Goodness, Mahrazu Bichi and Tobias Obechina, Jafaru Shaibu, Ayenajeyi Yakubu, Dauda Awode, Ezra Zaki, Sunday Abraham, Ayuba Adam, Jamilu Kabiru, Nuhu Madaki, Ibrahim Ali you and Ogwuche Linus.
Ironkwe called on AMAC residents to vote for ADC chairmanship candidate, Dr. Moses Paul as well as other chairmanship and councillorship candidates of the party across the Area Council.