By Amby Uneze, KSJI
Capacity, capacity, some people may ask, why am I particularly pulsated or excited using the noun? Take it or leave it, capacity remains a driving force that produces accelerated result to measure quality and progress in the society. Therefore, capacity is a pedigree for support of an Imo East (aka) Owerri senatorial zone aspirant in the forthcoming 2027 elections. So the observation is wise and I give such person(s) my respect and attention. It means that the message is being articulately received by the good people of the zone.
Yes! The essence of this piece is to continue in my series to draw rapt attention to the fact that there is need to believe in one’s capacity to do what others have not done. To put it succinctly, it is imperative to send to Abuja to represent the good people of Owerri senatorial zone in the hallowed red chambers of the senate a person with the required capacity to legislate good laws for our people, form great alliances/caucuses that would attract the needed dividends of democracy to our zone, join the ‘big boys’ to make our zone one of the best in the country, and a voice that cannot be ignored.
Who does not know the man I am referring to in today’s Owerri senatorial zone? The man with excess capacity, that single-handedly built roads without waiting to grab political office, brought solar-powered street lights, distributes palliatives to the needy, engages in regular humanitarian activities and above all, supports and humbles himself before the infrastructural governor of the year and Imo State Governor, His Excellency, Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodimma. He so much cherishes the fantastic developmental strides the governor is performing in the State. The roads revolution, and other numerous infrastructural projects the governor is spreading in all corners of the State has endeared him so much for his continued support for His Excellency. That personality is God-fearing Prince Alex Mbata – the Humanitarian Mogul. He possesses integrity, humility, capacity, contact, and finances.
To the wise in Owerri senatorial zone, the issue of ‘this local government or that local government’ does not matter, what the senatorial zone wants most now is the person that can perform and give effective representation at the Senate in 2027. It is important to remind our people that – the red Chambers (Senate) is not the Imo State House of Assembly, it is not either the House of Representatives in Abuja. Both Imo State House of Assembly and House of Representatives are mainly for those vibrant and smart younger people. The House of Representatives, for instance, are meant for those that want exposure, contact, and to legislate policies for our immediate environment.
If a senatorial zone makes a mistake and send a person who ordinarily should have been in the House of Assembly or Reps, such person should only go there to mark his/her time for four years, sleep and collect salaries and allowances for his/her personal pocket. The implication is that such particular senatorial zone would suffer for the next four years with little or no quality representation. Before the person would learn the rudiments and politics played at the red chambers where former governors, captains of industries, former ambassadors, former members of the House of representatives who must have been in the National Assembly for two terms or more and are counting on experiences, then four years would have passed without any tangible development in that particular senatorial zone. So, Owerri senatorial zone do not want such calamity to befall us NOW.
Therefore, as political conversations gradually shift toward the 2027 general elections, the debate in Imo East (Owerri Zone) is no longer centered solely on party dominance or zoning arrangements. Increasingly, the discourse is turning toward capacity—the ability of leadership to translate political office into measurable human capital development.
In Nigeria today, elections are not merely contests of popularity; they are choices about competence, vision, and developmental direction. For Imo East in 2027, the central question may well be: Who possesses the capacity to transform representation into sustainable human capital growth? That is why capacity in governance goes beyond zoning or local government that has not produced a senator before. It encompasses: policy literacy and legislative competence;
economic insight and development strategy;
institutional networking and influence; administrative discipline and accountability; and empathy for grassroots realities.
Hence it is said that a representative without capacity may occupy office; but a representative with capacity converts office into opportunities for his constituents.
Here again, capacity should be evaluated in terms of how effectively a leader can mobilize federal resources, attract investments, influence national policy debates, and build local human capital structures.
Human capital refers to the skills, knowledge, health, and productivity of people. In practical terms, it includes creating opportunities for quality education, youth and women empowerment and employment pathways, healthcare accessibility, as well as digital literacy and innovation.
Who has the competence, discipline, and strategic insight to transform representation into opportunity?
In the final analysis, capacity is not just an advantage—it is the essential ingredient for meaningful development. Prince Alex Mbata (Pam Pam) would surely make Owerri senatorial zone proud again.
*Uneze is the Imo State Senior Correspondent of Thisday Newspapers. He can be reached +234-8033-217716
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