OKIGWE ZONE YOUTH MANDATE RETRACTS EARLIER STATEMENT, APOLOGISES TO OKIGWE NORTH OVER ZONING NARRATIVE
— July 29, 2025
The Okigwe Zone Youth Mandate (OZYM) has issued a formal apology to the people of Okigwe North Federal Constituency, retracting an earlier publication that misrepresented the zoning arrangement within the constituency.
In a press release signed by Evang. Kelechi Uzomah, National President, and Engr. Chinedu Onuoha, National Secretary, the group acknowledged its error in promoting what it described as a “very wrong narrative” regarding the political rotation of representation among the three local government areas—Onuimo, Isiala Mbano, and Okigwe.
The apology followed what the organisation called a “careful digestion” of a recent publication by the Mezie Okigwe Forum for Good Governance, which presented a well-documented historical perspective of the zoning system. The group admitted that its earlier stance was based on “half-baked information” allegedly supplied by “desperate politicians” in Onuimo LGA.
> “We acted impulsively and were misled by those determined to disrupt the peace and unity in Okigwe North. However, we have now come to understand the truth and fully retract our earlier position,” the statement read.
Reaffirming its commitment to justice and unity, OZYM expressed support for Isiala Mbano LGA to complete an eight-year tenure in the House of Representatives, beginning from 2023 to 2031, in line with the established rotational agreement. The group urged political actors from Onuimo LGA to respect the existing arrangement and prepare to take their turn in the next cycle starting 2031.
The organisation further emphasised the importance of the zoning structure in sustaining political harmony and equitable representation in the constituency. It recalled that Onuimo began the first cycle in 1999 with the late Hon. Maurice Ibekwe, followed by Okigwe and then Isiala Mbano, who took last. As such, Isiala Mbano was rightly placed to take the lead in the second rotation cycle starting in 2023.
Additionally, the group highlighted the broader political context in 1999, where Okigwe LGA held the Deputy Governorship with H.E. Ebere Udeagu and Isiala Mbano produced a Senator, Distinguished Senator Ifeanyi Araraume, further justifying the balance in the rotational arrangement.
The statement concluded with a passionate appeal to all stakeholders—leaders, opinion molders, and youth groups—to respect the zoning system and prioritise unity over personal ambition.
> “We remain committed to equity, justice, and unity, and believe that the 8-year-per-LGA framework will ensure peace, inclusion, and balanced development across Okigwe North,” the organisation affirmed.
