The immediate past Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Ndudi Godwin Elumelu, OON, on Tuesday held a consultative meeting with the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State, Sir Mathew Chinye, and members of the Executive Committee of the party as part of preparations for his planned declaration to contest the Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency seat in the 2027 general elections.
The consultation and interactive meeting which took place at the APC Secretariat in Issele-Uku and attracted an overwhelming gathering of party faithful from the ten wards in Aniocha North Local Government Area.
Elumelu attended the meeting alongside members of the Rt. Hon. Ndudi Godwin Elumelu Campaign Organization where he formally consulted with the APC Chairman and members of the Executive Committee of the party in the local government area on his intention to return to the House of Representatives.
During the interaction, Elumelu gave a detailed account of his stewardship during his three tenures in the House of Representatives between 2007 and 2023.
He explained that the briefing was necessary in view of public discussions and questions raised on social media concerning his performance while in office.
He recalled that upon his election into the House of Representatives in 2007, he was appointed Chairman of the House Committee on Power and Steel, a position rarely given to a first-time member of the parliament. According to him, the committee at the time handled both the power and steel sectors before they were later separated into two different committees.
Elumelu explained that he used the opportunity of the position to facilitate electricity infrastructure across the Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency through the establishment of power distribution networks and substations.
Among the projects he listed were several substations built in strategic locations across communities including Onicha-Ugbo, Issele-Uku, Issele-Mkpitime, Illah, Ukwu-Nzu, Okpanam Junction and between Uguogi and Ogwashi-Uku, in addition to five substations constructed within Asaba.
He also disclosed that he facilitated the construction of a storey building for the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) office in Asaba after securing the land for the project and completing the construction.
As part of efforts to strengthen electricity supply in the constituency, Elumelu stated that he procured 40 Hilux vehicles distributed among the four local government areas within the Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency and facilitated the supply of 1,000 transformers to various communities to improve power distribution.
He further highlighted the facilitation of major electricity infrastructure including a 330KV transmission line substation that steps down in Agbor as well as a 132/33KV line substation built between Ibusa and Asaba at a cost of about N9.6 billion.
Beyond power infrastructure, Elumelu said his tenure also provided opportunities for employment and empowerment for many constituents within the federal civil service and private sector.
He also disclosed that he facilitated the establishment of six Energy Commission Centres across the six geo-political zones of the country, with the South-South centre located at the University of Benin due to the absence of a federal university in Delta State at the time.
The centre, he explained, commenced operations with a take-off grant of N5 billion and was responsible for several renewable energy initiatives including solar street light installations across communities in Delta State, particularly in Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency.
Speaking further, Elumelu recalled that in 2011 he became Chairman of the House Committee on Health where he facilitated major projects in the health sector including the construction of several buildings at the Federal Medical Centre, Asaba.
He also facilitated the establishment of the Federal College of Nursing Sciences in Onicha-Uku, an institution now empowered to award Ordinary National Diploma (OND) and Higher National Diploma (HND) in Nursing.
In addition to health infrastructure, he listed the construction of health centres, community town halls and the High Court in Onicha-Ugbo among several projects executed across the four local government areas of the constituency.
Elumelu further noted that after a brief period outside the National Assembly between 2015 and 2019, he returned to the House of Representatives in 2019 and emerged as Minority Leader.
During that period, he facilitated the construction of 72 flats for the State Security Service (SSS) in Asaba which now serves as the agency’s current headquarters in the state.
He also converted the former SSS office in Asaba into a standard clinic to cater for the medical needs of personnel of the agency.
As part of efforts to strengthen traditional institutions, Elumelu initiated the construction of standardized palaces for traditional rulers across the 58 communities in the Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency. According to him, about 30 of the palaces had already been completed before the end of his tenure.
He further listed the establishment of ICT centres and event centres in the four local government areas within the constituency as well as the construction of health centres, community halls and other social infrastructure across several communities.
Elumelu also explained that throughout his years in office, his constituency allowance was utilized strictly for constituency development including the engagement of Special Assistants on Youth and Special Assistants on Women Affairs across the 58 communities in the federal constituency.
He added that police stations across the constituency were renovated while the headquarters of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Asaba was connected to the national grid with the construction of access roads and installation of solar street lights.
According to him, his engagement with communities within the federal constituency has continued even after leaving office as part of efforts to support development initiatives and address challenges faced by the people.
Further explaining the motivation behind his renewed political ambition, Elumelu said that although he had achieved significant milestones in public service as well as his private business, he had at a point reflected on whether it was time to step aside from active political engagement.
He stated that after careful reflection, he realized that the Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency had lost the level of representation and influence it once enjoyed during his tenure in the House of Representatives.
According to him, while he served in the National Assembly, the constituency was widely recognised for effective representation and was consistently ranked among the best in Delta State and across Nigeria.
Elumelu noted that the constituency was able to attract numerous projects and interventions during his time in office, explaining that the value of constituency projects facilitated for the area exceeded one hundred billion naira.
He, however, observed that such level of visibility and development had declined in recent years, a development he said motivated him to consider returning to the House of Representatives.
The former Minority Leader stressed that his decision was driven by the need to restore a strong voice for the people of Aniocha/Oshimili at the National Assembly and ensure that the constituency once again benefits from impactful representation and development opportunities.
He therefore formally informed the APC Chairman in Aniocha North, Sir Mathew Chinye, and members of the Executive Committee of the party that he was consulting them as part of his preparations to contest the Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency seat in the 2027 general elections.
Responding on behalf of the Executive Committee of the party in Aniocha North, the APC Chairman, Sir Mathew Chinye, appreciated the consultative visit and acknowledged the various developmental projects and interventions carried out by Elumelu across the Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency.
Chinye noted that many of the contributions made by the former Minority Leader for the welfare and development of the people were widely known across the constituency, adding that some of them were not even mentioned during the presentation.
He described Elumelu as a politician with good intentions for the people and prayed for God’s guidance as he pursues his aspiration.
The APC Chairman thereafter gave Elumelu the nod, on behalf of members of the Executive Committee of the party in Aniocha North, to proceed with his plan to contest the Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency seat in the 2027 general elections.
The meeting ended with goodwill messages from party faithful drawn from the ten wards in Aniocha North Local Government Area who attended the consultation.
