OFUJI RISING: Bende Cries Out For A Leader Who Feels The People’s Pain

• By Chibuisi Mba

There is a restlessness in Bende tonight. It is not anger. It is hope mixed with exhaustion.

For years, mothers have walked long kilometers for water. Fathers have watched farms rot on bad roads. Graduates have sent CVs that returned empty. And in town halls and market squares, one name keeps coming up ahead of 2027: Dr Chima Anyaso.

Across Abia State the political drums are beating louder. But in Bende, the conversation has changed. It is no longer about big billboards. It is about presence. About a leader who will sit on the same bench, drink from the same stream, and feel the same heat.

Community leaders, youth groups, and market women who gathered over the weekend did not come with speeches. They came with stories.

“He understands the challenges facing the people of Bende because he has remained close to the grassroots and appreciate the daily struggles of ordinary citizens,” an elder from Item said, his voice breaking. “When our son is sick, he asks. When our roof leaks, he sees it.”

That is the difference people are talking about. Not promises shouted from far away, but a man who has stayed.

From education to healthcare, from rural roads to small businesses, the message was the same: Bende deserves a leader who will be present, accessible, and effective. Too many projects started and abandoned. Too many voices ignored.

“Bende cannot afford another missed opportunity,” a youth leader from Alayi told the crowd, and the room answered with nods. “We need someone who will bring projects home, finish them, and stand before us to give account.”

Dr Anyaso’s supporters say his compass is clear. Four words guide him: integrity, accountability, service, and results. They believe Bende’s wealth in agriculture, trade, and young talent has been waiting for leadership that plans beyond elections.

“Bende deserves excellence. Bende deserves visionary leadership.” You could hear it in different dialects across the wards on Saturday. It was not a chant. It was a prayer.

Now the walls are speaking too. Posters reading The Future Is Now have gone up in villages and junctions. Underneath, in bold letters: The Choice Is Ofuji Come 2027.

2027 is still ahead, but Bende has already decided what it wants. Not a title. A partner. Not noise. Results.