Political stakeholders in Bende Local Government Area of Abia State have disowned a communiqué purportedly issued in the name of the Bende Forum, insisting that the forum is no longer in existence and has not endorsed any aspirant for the 2027 Bende Federal Constituency House of Representatives election.
The position was made known in a communiqué issued after a stakeholders’ meeting held on Saturday, August 1, 2026, in Bende.
Presenting the communiqué, former Chairman of Bende Local Government Area and former Commissioner, Chief Ukwu “Rocks” Emma, alleged that some individuals were using the name of the defunct Bende Forum to advance personal political interests.
According to him, the original Bende Forum was established as a non-partisan platform to promote the collective interest, unity and development of Bende people, rather than serve the ambitions of individuals.
He explained that the forum was created during the administration of former Governor Orji Uzor Kalu, with Chief Emma Omokwe as Chairman and Hon. P.C. Mba as Secretary. The body, he said, comprised commissioners, advisers, elected officials, political appointees and respected elders from across Bende.
Chief Emma further recalled that a later attempt to revive the forum during the administration of former Governor Theodore Orji, under the leadership of the late Chief B.A. Mmeregini, eventually collapsed due to political disagreements.
The stakeholders questioned the legitimacy of recent statements issued in the name of the forum, stressing that no existing Bende Forum had met or taken any decision to endorse any candidate.
They also dissociated themselves from a communiqué reportedly presented by Hon. P.C. Mba, describing it as his personal position which did not reflect the collective decision of Bende leaders.
The communiqué stated that no Bende Forum had adopted Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, or any other aspirant for the 2027 election.
On the issue of zoning, the stakeholders maintained that every qualified aspirant should be given the opportunity to contest for the Bende Federal Constituency seat, urging interested candidates to present their credentials to the electorate.
They called on political leaders and stakeholders to avoid actions capable of creating disunity, while advocating the formation of a genuinely inclusive and broadly accepted Bende Forum.
The stakeholders urged members of the public to disregard statements issued in the name of the Bende Forum until a properly constituted body is established, expressing optimism that political activities ahead of the 2027 general elections would remain peaceful, credible and issue-driven.
Earlier, the Mayor of Bende Local Government Area, Hon. Deacon Uwabunkonye Bassey, said he convened the meeting in his capacity as the Chief Security Officer of the council to demonstrate that the earlier purported communiqué did not represent the views of the political leadership and stakeholders in Bende.
The meeting was attended by stakeholders drawn from different political parties, including the All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP) and the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
