ENUGU— Chief Kingsley Chizoba Nweke, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for Enugu East Senatorial District in the 2027 election, says he is contesting to rescue his people from past mistakes and provide better representation.
Nweke, popularly known as “Odaa Opuo”, stated this on Monday at a world press conference at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Enugu State Council.
“I have come to rescue my people from the mistakes of the past. For a long period of time, it has been selections in Enugu East, but we have come to change that,” he said.
He said the time had come to correct what he described as shortcomings in the political representation of the senatorial district and lay a foundation for the people to rise again.
Nweke said his priority would include empowering the people to understand their political rights and make informed choices during elections.
He said political positions had, over time, been determined through selections by stakeholders at the local, state and federal levels.
“Stakeholders have been selecting who becomes governor, who goes to the Senate, House of Representatives, House of Assembly and council chairmen. We have come to change all that,” he said.
Nweke said the people should collectively determine who represents them, describing the new approach as “anyi ejebego”.
He urged youths and other residents of Enugu East to stand firm and defend their votes during the 2027 election.
Nweke said his aspiration was also aimed at extending his philanthropic and youth empowerment activities to the entire Enugu East Senatorial District and Enugu State.
He said through what he described as the NKC Project, he had supported skills acquisition and youth empowerment initiatives.
Nweke also listed the Abakpa Peace Carnival, Abakpa League, Coal Camp Carnival and Youth Empowerment programme, and the Paul Ogbe Youth Programme among initiatives he said he had personally sponsored.
He said the Paul Ogbe Youth Programme connects youths across the 17 Local Government Areas of Enugu State.
Nweke further said he had supported medical outreaches, including arrangements that enabled some beneficiaries to travel to India for treatment.
He said his proposed entry into public office would enable him to extend such interventions to more people.
“If I can do all these as an individual, how much more will I do if I am holding public trust?” he asked.
Nweke said the 2027 election should not be about physical appearance but about the capacity of candidates to make meaningful impact.
He disclosed that he was based in the United States, where he is the Chief Executive Officer of Fantasy Large, with interests he said included hospitality, agriculture, youth empowerment and sports.
On consultations, Nweke said he was still engaging stakeholders, but was currently concentrating on grassroots consultations before reaching out to major political stakeholders.
Responding, the Chairman of the Enugu State Council of the NUJ Comrade Obinna Ogbuka, welcomed Nweke and acknowledged his concerns and proposals.
The chairman, however, stressed that the NUJ was not affiliated with any political party and would remain professionally independent.
He assured Nweke that the union would continue to monitor the manifestoes and programmes of political candidates and report their activities accurately.
2027: ‘I Have Come to Rescue My People From Past Mistakes’ — PDP’s Nweke
