BENDE — The political battle for the Abia North Senatorial seat in 2027 reached a dramatic turning point on Thursday, October 8, 2026, as the Labour Party (LP) candidate, Chief Dr. David Ogba Onuoha Bourdex, MFR, OON, stormed Bende Local Government Area, holding a historic, closed-door consultation with the entire Bende Council of Traditional Rulers.
In a bold, direct, and unsparing political address, the telecom pioneer and industrialist declared that the incumbent Senator representing Abia North, Chief Orji Uzor Kalu, has reached the end of his political usefulness to the zone and must step aside for a fresh, results-driven representative in 2027.
Chief Bourdex, who was received with overwhelming warmth and royal fanfare, urged the traditional rulers to look beyond political sentiments and judge leaders purely by effective performance and tangible impact.
“At this point in my life, I am not seeking public office for personal wealth or vanity; my singular focus is to make a name that Abia North, Abians, and Nigerians will remember for generations because of the massive, life-changing achievements recorded during my tenure as Senator,” Bourdex stated passionately.
“Senator Orji Uzor Kalu has tried his best, but his best is simply not enough for where Abia North needs to be today. It is time for him to leave the stage. Leadership is not about sentiment or empty noise; it is about results and effectiveness. We have tried Senator Orji Kalu; it is now time to try someone else who has the capacity and vision to deliver.”
Drawing an irresistible parallel with the executive transformation happening in Abia State, Bourdex reminded the royal fathers how the decision of Abians to break away from old political godfathers and elect Governor Alex Chioma Otti, OFR, brought sweeping infrastructural and economic liberation to the state.
He assured the traditional rulers that electing a Labour Party Senator in 2027 will create a seamless, powerful alignment between Abia North and the state government, accelerating federal interventions and grassroots development.
While the political messaging sent shockwaves across Bende, the defining emotional highlight of the visit occurred when Chief Bourdex came face-to-face with His Royal Highness, Eze Engr. Cletus Ogbonnaya Iromantu, the traditional ruler of Okporo Enyi.
Unbeknownst to many in the room, Eze Iromantu served as the pioneer Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in the early 1990s. It was Eze Iromantu who granted and personally signed the provisional license that birthed Bourdex Telecommunications—the pioneering telecom giant that revolutionized digital communications across the former Eastern Region of Nigeria.
Standing before the revered monarch decades later as a leading senatorial candidate, an emotional Bourdex publicly acknowledged the royal father’s historic role in his entrepreneurial journey.
“Standing before His Royal Highness today, decades later, was like turning the pages of my own history,” Bourdex reflected with deep gratitude. “It was this remarkable gentleman who signed the license that opened the door for Bourdex Telecom to connect communities, create thousands of jobs, and transform our economic landscape. Life has a beautiful way of bringing us face to face with the very people who helped us take our first important steps.”
Chief Bourdex was accompanied on the consultation visit by a high-powered political delegation, including:
Chief Emeka Charles Kalu — Abia North Zonal Coordinator, Labour Party Campaign Council
Sir Martin Emetu — Father of His Excellency, the Deputy Governor of Abia State
Chief Nwaka Inem (Enyi Oha) — Special Adviser to Governor Alex Otti on Trade, Commerce, and Industry
Hon. Uwabunkeonye — Mayor of Bende Local Government Area
Mrs. Chidimma Umeh — Supervisory Councillor for Health, Ohafia LGA
The delegation also paid courtesy visits to the Ugo Ezes (wives of the traditional rulers) in their chambers to exchange warm greetings, before concluding the engagement at the office of the Bende LGA Mayor.
The visit reached its climax as the Bende Council of Traditional Rulers laid their hands on Chief Bourdex, offering prayers for his 2027 senatorial bid and committing his journey into the hands of God.
