Labour Party’s Anyanwu Akeredolu Betty Chioma Unveils Certificate of Return, Presents 10-Point Manifesto

Mavis Opara

Labour Party candidate for the House of Representatives, Anyanwu Akeredolu Betty Chioma, has officially presented her Certificate of Return during a press briefing in Owerri, Imo State, confirming her emergence as the party’s flag-bearer for her federal constituency ahead of the upcoming general election.

Addressing journalists while showcasing the Certificate of Return, popularly known as Ada Owerri, she reaffirmed her commitment to advancing women’s participation in politics and delivering effective representation to her constituents.

“My mission remains the same — to deepen and champion women’s representation in elected positions,” she said.

She was equally firm that personal gain plays no part in her ambition.

“I am not going to the National Assembly for money. I am going to ensure that our federal constituency is made prosperous,” she stated.

At the briefing, Anyanwu Akeredolu Betty Chioma also unveiled a 10-point manifesto built around youth empowerment and job creation, education and human capital development, healthcare, women empowerment and gender inclusion, infrastructure and community development, social protection for vulnerable groups, support for persons with disabilities, agriculture and food security, environmental sustainability, and constituency collaboration.

On healthcare, she proposed establishing primary healthcare centres in every community and introducing telemedicine to bridge the gap caused by the shortage of medical professionals.

On agriculture, she drew from her personal experience as a practising aquaculturist, advocating for farming to be rebranded as agribusiness in order to attract greater youth participation.

Her More Girls Empowered Foundation has already trained over 3,500 young women in ICT and technology skills across several states, a programme she pledged to replicate on a larger scale through her legislative platform.

During the question-and-answer session, she was asked how she intended to collaborate with state assembly members from the rival All Progressives Congress (APC) and whether being a woman would pose any challenge. Ada Owerri was unfazed.

“Being a woman even makes it easier. I am a woman, I am a mother, and I am even a grandmother to many of them. You reach out, you invite them for lunch. You water the ground,” she said.

She stressed that party differences should never override the shared goal of serving the people.

“We look at governance as APC, Labour Party, PDP, but our ultimate goals are the same. If your mission is selfless, you approach things differently.

“I will reach out to them and they will come.”

A journalist also challenged her strong emphasis on women’s empowerment, asking whether young men and boys featured adequately in her plans.

“Look at the first pillar — youth empowerment. That is where the boys fall in,” she responded.

“Under Empower to Become, I have them in mind. We cannot talk about development while leaving out half the population. The boys are included; they are not left out,” she said.

With her Certificate of Return secured and her manifesto officially launched, the Labour Party candidate said her focus now turns squarely to winning the general election.

“What lies ahead is the work of winning, and I intend to win it,” she said.