Joel Ajayi

As political parties intensify preparations and conduct primaries ahead of the 2027 general elections, the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) has adopted Mr Festus Uwakhemen as its candidate for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) senatorial election.

The decision was reached on Tuesday at the party’s secretariat in Abuja, where delegates from the six area councils unanimously endorsed Uwaakhemen to fly the party’s flag in the 2027 election.

Although Uwaakhemen was the sole aspirant in the senatorial primary, the party adopted a consensus voting arrangement to formally validate his candidacy.

Speaking shortly after his emergence, Uwakhemen pledged to use the Senate platform to sponsor legislation aimed at improving the welfare of FCT residents, strengthening property rights, reducing multiple taxation and making elected representation more accessible.

Uwakhemen, who said he had lived and contributed to the development of the FCT for about three decades, said his long experience in the territory had given him a deep understanding of the challenges confronting residents.

“I have all the things to contribute to our mission and the development of the FCT. I have been here for approximately 28 years, and I have contributed to the growth and development of the FCT.”

He said his experience over the years had exposed him to several administrative gaps and challenges affecting residents, adding that stronger legislation would be required to address some of the problems.

One of the major issues he promised to tackle is multiple taxation in the FCT. Uwakhemen said businesses and residents often face different layers of taxation, describing the situation as double or triple taxation.

According to him, he would push for legislation establishing a more coordinated tax regime that would reduce the burden on residents and businesses while improving the ease of doing business in the territory.

“This amounts to double or even triple taxation, and all entities suffer from it. We need legislation that will cushion the burden on residents and businesses in the FCT,” he said.

He also promised to strengthen existing policies and legislation aimed at addressing the challenges confronting vulnerable residents, including elderly people and those living on the streets.

Uwakhemen also identified the disconnect between elected representatives and constituents as an issue requiring urgent attention.

He promised to establish liaison offices across the six area councils to enable residents to easily reach his office, report challenges and seek assistance.

“We have a project we call the Liaison Office for FCT indigenes and residents. The liaison offices will be established in each of the six area councils.”

He added that regular town-hall meetings would be organised across the area councils and wards to enable him engage directly with constituents, listen to their concerns and identify practical solutions.

“Our strategy is to meet the people and solve their problems. We will go back to the people, ask questions and find out the community needs so that we can push their issues forward,” he said.

The ZLP candidate also promised to pursue reforms in land administration and strengthen the protection of property owners in the FCT.

He called for a review of the powers surrounding the allocation and revocation of properties, arguing that stronger legislative safeguards were necessary to prevent arbitrary demolition or revocation.

“One of the laws I want to push is that the FCT Minister can allocate, but should not have unchecked power to revoke properties,” he said.

According to him, there should be a clearly defined process and justification before a property is revoked or demolished, with the National Assembly empowered to scrutinise controversial cases.

He said such legislation would protect residents, restore confidence in the FCT land administration system and encourage greater confidence in property transactions.

Also speaking, the FCT Chairman of the Zenith Labour Party, Hon. Swani Buba, said the party conducted the substitution primary to select its senatorial candidate after initially presenting a placeholder candidate.

He said the exercise was part of efforts to strengthen the party and position it for the 2027 elections.

“Today, we conducted a substitution primary to select our senatorial candidate. We had a placeholder candidate, and as a party and as the chairman, our objective was to ensure that we moved the party forward,” Buba said.

He described Uwaakhemen as a strong candidate capable of representing the party and expressed confidence that members would work together to secure victory in the 2027 election.

“We have now chosen our candidate, and that candidate is Professor Festus Uwaakhemen. We believe he has what it takes to represent the party effectively, and we are confident that, working together, we will put up a strong fight and achieve victory at the end of the day,” he said.

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