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The journey for the quest to renew our social contract with Ndị Abia took off yesterday as we formally flagged off the Labour Party campaigns at the Umuahia Township Stadium. The occasion also featured the inauguration of the Labour Party Advisory Council, chaired by the former Deputy Governor of Abia State, Rt. Hon. Ude Oko Chukwu. I am grateful to the party leadership, our distinguished party candidates at the national and state levels, our supporters, our fathers of faith and all distinguished guests who joined us for the important occasion. As we begin this campaign journey, I urge all political parties, candidates and their supporters to embrace peace, civility and issue-based engagements. Elections should be about ideas, policies and the future we envision for our people, not personal attacks, intimidation or violence. Democracy thrives when differing opinions are respected and every political group is allowed to exercise its legitimate rights. Our message to Abians is clear: the work of rebuilding our State must continue. Over the past 41 months, we have taken deliberate steps to address longstanding challenges, improve infrastructure, strengthen public institutions, expand economic opportunities and restore confidence in governance. The task ahead is to consolidate these gains, deepen development across all sectors and position Abia to take advantage of emerging economic opportunities. I have also reiterated that no opposition party or its supporters should be intimidated, harassed or prevented from carrying out legitimate political activities. Public facilities must remain accessible to all political parties in accordance with established regulations. We must demonstrate that political competition and peaceful coexistence can go hand in hand. I thank the members of our newly inaugurated Advisory Council for accepting this responsibility and look forward to their contributions to the party's success across the State. As we look towards the February 6, 2027 election, I invite Abians to engage with our programmes, examine our record, study our manifesto and participate actively in the democratic process. LABOUR PARTY! FORWARD EVER, BACKWARD NEVER!