Respecting the Zoning Deal: Former Abia Speaker Steps Down from Senatorial Race to Back Chief Emeka Atuma.

A former Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Christopher Enweremadu, has pulled out of the Abia Central Senatorial race just ahead of the primary election scheduled for Monday, May 18. Running under the All Progressives Congress (APC), Enweremadu announced he’s stepping down to support Chief Emeka Atuma, popularly known as “Kabila.”

The decision came during a stakeholders’ meeting of the Isialangwa North Equity Movement on Sunday in Isialangwa North LGA. Enweremadu, who leads the movement, explained that his withdrawal is about respecting an existing zoning agreement within the senatorial zone. According to that arrangement, the remaining four year term for the seat should go to someone from Ikwuano Local Government Area and that person is Chief Atuma.

“Honouring the zoning arrangement helps sustain unity, trust, and harmony in the zone,” Enweremadu said. “It also allows other LGAs to legitimately claim the seat when it’s their turn. We need to avoid marginalisation and ensure peaceful power rotation.”

Beyond the senate race, the group also threw its weight behind President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027. They praised his “Renewed Hope Agenda,” citing economic reforms, infrastructural growth, and national development as reasons to back continuity.

The meeting ended with a unanimous endorsement of Atuma as the movement’s consensus candidate. Enweremadu described Atuma as a seasoned politician with strong grassroots connections and a proven track record of service. The group is now calling on all party members and people of Abia Central to rally behind him for the sake of unity and progress.