By Isaac Mission
The Peoples Democratic Party senatorial candidate for Enugu East in the 2027 general election, Kingsley Nweke, has called on voters to carefully assess the track records and accessibility of political candidates before deciding who to support.
Nweke made the call while speaking with journalists at the Nigeria Union of Journalists Press Centre in Enugu on Monday, where he also assured supporters that his campaign would put measures in place to protect votes cast for him.
The candidate, who is based in the United States but hails from Nkanu West Local Government Area of Enugu State, said he remained familiar with developments in the state despite living abroad.
According to him, he has continued to visit Enugu regularly since relocating to the US, giving him the opportunity to observe the political situation and identify areas where he believes improvements are necessary.
“I may live in America, but I am from Enugu State and I have continued to visit the state regularly. I have been observing what has been happening, and some of the things I have seen motivated me to come into the race,” he said.
Nweke promises vote protection
Nweke said his campaign team was already developing strategies to monitor the electoral process from the polling units through the various stages of vote collation.
He maintained that voters must also take responsibility for protecting their ballots, assuring them that his team would be present at collation centres to ensure their votes were properly accounted for.
He said, “We are putting plans in place to ensure that when the election comes, the will of the people prevails. We will not allow the mandate of the people to be taken away.”
The PDP candidate further advised the electorate to consider the past activities and community involvement of politicians before giving them their votes.
He argued that accessibility, commitment to youth development and involvement in community affairs should be among the qualities voters look for in their representatives.
Nweke said politicians who had remained distant from their constituents before elections should not be expected to suddenly become accessible after securing public office.
Youth empowerment, agriculture, sports on agenda
The candidate said his previous community initiatives and youth-focused programmes were evidence of his interest in grassroots development.
He mentioned peace carnivals and other youth engagement initiatives among his efforts, adding that more than 70 young people had benefited from employment opportunities created through his personal initiatives.
If elected, Nweke said his priorities would include youth empowerment, agriculture, sports, technology and infrastructure development across Enugu East Senatorial District.
He expressed concern about the decline of sports and said he would explore opportunities to introduce modern sporting facilities and equipment while also promoting football and other sporting activities.
He also identified information technology and artificial intelligence as areas that could provide opportunities for young people.
Promises better infrastructure
Nweke said improving roads and other infrastructure would also receive attention under his proposed agenda.
He criticised what he described as unfulfilled political promises in the district and said his objective would be to restore public confidence in the political process through tangible results.
According to him, “A lot has gone wrong in Enugu East Senatorial District, but the time has come to get things right.”
Wants to rebuild PDP in Enugu
Beyond his senatorial ambition, Nweke said he was also interested in strengthening the PDP and helping the party regain its position in Enugu State.
He explained that his consultations with political stakeholders were ongoing, but that he was paying particular attention to residents of the senatorial district because they would ultimately decide his political fate.
“I need the mandate and approval of the people of Enugu East more than anything else. However, consultations with stakeholders are also continuing,” he said.
Nweke called on youths, women, community leaders and other residents to take an active interest in the electoral process.
He stressed that ensuring that the people’s votes count should not be left to political candidates alone, but should be a collective responsibility of the electorate and other stakeholders.