For the first time in years, the air in Bende Federal Constituency feels different. Heavier. Hopeful. And for one man in Abuja, restless.
Dr. Chima Desmond Anyaso, with what constituents describe as a “sincere and truthful approach to politics,” has become the single issue keeping the current Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives awake at night. The ground is shifting, and the people are saying it out loud.
“So Now You Are Accessible?”
At a dusty junction in Igbere this week, a constituent named Chidiebere could not hide his disbelief as political activity picked up ahead of 2027, when he sighted Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu visiting Igbere, the hometown of the Labour Party House of Representatives candidate, Dr. Chima Anyaso.
“So it’s now an election time and you have become so Accessible right?” he asked, shaking his head. “I can’t believe what am seeing now.”
Chidiebere is not alone. Across villages in Bende, the same sentence has become a refrain: “Ben is not accessible after the election.”
For years, constituents say, their representative disappears the moment ballots are counted, only to reappear with handshakes and promises when the next election cycle approaches.
Ben Kalu was also seen visiting a well known traditional ruler in Igbere, His Royal Majesty Eze Joseph Anyanta, who did not miss words in speaking truth to power.
Igbere Meeting Ends In Empty Chairs
That frustration boiled over during the Deputy Speaker’s recent visit to Igbere. What was expected to be a grand reception turned into what eyewitnesses described as voters’ rejection. Only a handful of party members showed up to receive him. The town halls were quiet.
Residents pointed to three reasons: failed leadership, inaccessibility after election, and what they called the broken leadership rotation agreement in Bende meant to ensure equity and justice across the federal constituency.
“The people have spoken with their absence,” one elder said. “They are tired of being remembered only during campaigns.”
TRADITIONAL VOICE: “I Was There When The Agreement Was Signed”
The conversation reached the palace. His Royal Majesty Eze Joseph Anyanta, a respected traditional ruler, a Christian, and committed member of Winners Chapel Church, received the Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu.
Eze Anyanta, known for speaking the truth and for having the resources to stand independent of political pressure, did not miss the opportunity. He reminded the Deputy Speaker of the equity agreement and openly stated that he was there when it was signed to make room for peace and equity in the constituency.
For many in Bende, the monarch’s intervention reinforced what they have been saying: leadership must be fair, and promises must be kept.
STAKEHOLDERS: “It’s Chima Anyaso Or Nothing”
Bende stakeholders gathered this week and made their position clear. No negotiations. No middle ground.
“It’s either Chima Anyaso or nothing!” a community leader declared to loud applause.
Another political leader, speaking sarcastically, captured the mood in Abuja circles: “OFUJI, the sleepless night you have caused Benji has made him not to think straight again. The greatest joke of the day is this funky they are feeling after visiting Igbere today. They counted the people that came out to collect their share and translated it to votes.”
ANYASO: “When Love Is Real, It Needs No Inducement”
Dr. Chima Anyaso has not hidden his intentions for 2027. On his verified Facebook page, he addressed Ndi Bende directly, and the post has since gone viral.
“The difference is clear. The love is genuine. The acceptance is natural. No manipulation, no inducement, no pressure — just sincere prayers, goodwill and the warm embrace of our traditional institution.
My profound gratitude to Ndi Eze Bende and Ndi Ugo Eze for your prayers, blessings and words of encouragement. I receive them with humility and a deep sense of responsibility.
May God answer every prayer offered on our behalf, grant us wisdom and strength, and prepare us for the opportunity to serve Ndi Bende with sincerity, dignity and a genuine heart for the people.
When love is real, it needs no inducement. The difference will always be clear.”
In Bende today, those words are being pasted on walls, shared in WhatsApp groups, and repeated in market squares.
For a constituency that says it has been forgotten, the message feels like oxygen. For an incumbent, it feels like a sleepless night.
