By joshua ‘HE IS THE OPTION FOR 2027’ — IDAH CLUB 65/75 ENDORSES HON. PAUL UKWENYA FOR IDAH FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY, CITES TRACK RECORD AND CAPACITY
The Idah Club 65/75, one of the most prominent and respected socio-cultural groups in Kogi East, has thrown its weight behind Hon. Paul Ukwenya, the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, House of Representatives Candidate for Idah Federal Constituency comprising Idah, Ibaji, and Igalamela Odolu LGAs, ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The endorsement was delivered at an enlarged meeting of the Club held at FAAN, Hotel Ikoyi in Lagos at the weekend. Hon. Ukwenya, who is also a Board of Trustees, BOT, member of Idah Club 65/75, was described by members as the candidate with the experience, humility and grassroots connection needed to bring value addition to the federal constituency.
Describing the timing as providential, leaders of the Club said the endorsement could not have come at a better time than now, noting that the political conversation across Idah, Ibaji and Igalamela Odolu is already gravitating toward capacity and proven service.
“Hon. Paul Ukwenya is the option for Idah Federal Constituency in 2027,” the Club declared. “He has all it takes to represent us effectively and to bring the kind of value addition that our people have long deserved. This is a man we have watched over the years, and we are confident he will not disappoint.”
The endorsement by Idah Club 65/75 based in Lagos is no mean feat. The Club is made up of men and women of repute, professionals, community leaders and elder statesmen whose voices carry weight across the Igala nation. Political watchers say the move has already set the tone for what will shape 2027 in the federal constituency.
Hon. Paul Ukwenya is not new to the politics of service in Idah Federal Constituency. Over the years he has built a reputation as a quiet but effective mobilizer, a community man and a PDP loyalist who believes in issue-based politics. Published works and constituency reports over the last few years have consistently referenced his interventions in education, youth empowerment, health outreach and rural infrastructure across the four LGAs. He is widely acknowledged for his scholarship support to indigent students, his support for women cooperatives and market associations, and his consistent advocacy for better federal presence in riverine and agrarian communities of Ibaji and Igalamela Odolu.
Party stakeholders say what stands Ukwenya out is his trajectory. He has walked the length and breadth of the federal constituency, not just during election cycles but in seasons of need. He has mediated communal issues, supported flood victims in Ibaji, facilitated medical outreaches, and provided learning materials to schools. That record, PDP leaders argue, is why he is being presented now as the best man for the job.
“At a time when our people are asking for representation that listens, that delivers, and that can attract federal attention to our roads, our waterways and our farms, Hon. Ukwenya fits the bill,” a senior PDP leader in the constituency said. “He understands the pain points of Idah, Ibaji and Igalamela Odolu because he has lived with them.”
Members of Idah Club 65/75 said their decision was not based on party sentiment alone but on evidence. They noted that Hon. Ukwenya combines political experience with a deep sense of community, and that as a BOT member of the Club he has continued to identify with its ideals of unity, development and service to humanity.
The Club urged other socio-cultural groups, youth bodies and women organizations across the federal constituency to rally behind the PDP candidate, saying 2027 must be about sending someone who can speak with authority in Abuja and also return home to account to the people.
In his response, Hon. Ukwenya thanked the Club for the confidence reposed in him and pledged to run an inclusive campaign anchored on unity and development. He said his aspiration is driven by the desire to ensure that Idah Federal Constituency gets its fair share of national resources, and that the voices of farmers, fishermen, traders, students and traditional institutions are properly represented at the National Assembly.
“This endorsement humbles me,” Ukwenya said. “Idah Club 65/75 is a house of wisdom. I will not take this trust for granted. Together with our people in Idah, Ibaji and Igalamela Odolu, we will build a constituency that works for everyone.”
With the endorsement now on record, PDP stakeholders say the race for Idah Federal Constituency in 2027 has taken clear shape, and that with a candidate like Hon. Paul Ukwenya, the party is presenting to the people a leader whose time has come.