By James
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As conversations intensify around who should represent Okigwe in the Senate, one name continues to surface across communities, professional groups, and private discussions: Attorney Charles Onyirimba. Yet, despite the rising chorus urging him to run, Onyirimba has neither declared interest nor shut the door. In this interview with Panorama News, a prominent Okigwe constituency stakeholder, Chief Uzo Mgbada, speaking from the vantage point of civic engagement rather than partisan ambition, raises a sobering but necessary argument: that as much as he supports the push for Onyirimba, the real work must begin not with the candidate, but with the people.
There appears to be growing pressure on Attorney Charles Onyirimba to contest for the Senate. How do you interpret this development?
It tells you there is hunger for credible leadership. People are tired, tired of empty representation and recycled politics. So, when a name like Onyirimba comes up, it reflects a collective yearning for competence and integrity. But admiration alone is not enough to win an election.
What do you mean by that?
We must be honest with ourselves. The question is not only whether Onyirimba should run; it is whether Okigwe is ready to do its part. Too often, we push people forward while remaining unprepared to back them where it matters most, at the polls.
Many supporters are already mobilising and even staging rallies and endorsements in his favour. Doesn’t that count for something?
It counts emotionally, but elections are not decided by emotions. They are decided by votes. I always ask: are those on the streets PVC-compliant? Will they be present on election day to vote? If the answer is no, then all that energy evaporates the moment voting begins.
That sounds like a criticism of grassroots enthusiasm.
Not at all. Enthusiasm is good. But enthusiasm without structure is dangerous because it creates false confidence. Anti-democratic forces do not fear noise; they fear numbers. They do not fear anger; they fear turnout. Rigging succeeds where citizens are absent, disorganised, or indifferent. That is the bitter truth we must confront.
Some people say the system is already rigged, so voting feels pointless.
That belief is exactly what sustains rigging. The fewer the voters, the easier the manipulation. History shows that the most effective way to neutralise electoral fraud is mass participation combined with lawful vigilance. When people come out in overwhelming numbers and stay engaged throughout the process, it becomes very difficult to hijack the outcome.
How does this reality affect the push for Onyirimba to run?
Any serious person being urged to run will look beyond the cheers and ask hard questions. Are the people organised? Are they registered? Are they ready to defend their mandate within the law? No responsible individual should enter a contest where supporters are loud but electorally absent. Leadership is not a gamble; it is a covenant between a candidate and an electorate.
So, what should supporters of Onyirimba or any other candidate, be doing right now?
The answer is straightforward: get your PVC. Encourage your neighbours to do the same. Build voter networks. Plan for turnout, not just publicity. It is not enough to canvass for a candidate when you are not empowered to vote. Advocacy without a PVC is symbolic; it feels good, but it changes nothing.
Are you saying this message goes beyond Onyirimba?
Absolutely. This is not about one man. It applies to everyone rooting for change in Okigwe. Democracy does not recognise how passionate you are; it recognises whether you showed up and voted. If we truly want a different outcome, we must behave differently as citizens.
What has been the greatest constraint to credible electoral contests in Okigwe?
The single greatest constraint has been the disconnect between public opinion and electoral participation. In Okigwe, as in many parts of Nigeria, the majority often know what they want, but too few show up to enforce that will through the ballot. Elections here are rarely lost because the people lack clarity; they are lost because turnout is weak, organisation is thin, and vigilance fades too early. This creates a vacuum that anti-democratic actors exploit, through vote suppression, manipulation, inducement, and procedural shortcuts.
Another major constraint is citizen resignation. Many voters have internalised the belief that outcomes are predetermined. That mindset discourages registration, PVC collection, and election-day presence. Once that psychological defeat sets in, manipulation becomes easy and resistance minimal.
There is also the problem of fragmented mobilisation. Support is often loud but scattered, expressed in protests, social media debates, and private complaints, without a central strategy focused on voter education, turnout, and polling-unit presence.
Finally, there is elite capture of the process, where a small, organised minority plans meticulously while the majority remains reactive. Elections are won not by the largest crowd, but by the best-prepared network.
How then can the true will of the people prevail in Okigwe?
The people’s will can prevail only when it is converted from sentiment into structure.
First, there must be mass voter registration and PVC collection. No reform, no candidate, and no movement can succeed if supporters are not legally empowered to vote. Civic education must make it clear that without a PVC, one is politically invisible.
Second, turnout must become a collective culture, not an individual choice. Communities, churches, unions, youth groups, and professional associations must treat election day as a shared civic obligation. When turnout is overwhelming, manipulation collapses under its own weight.
Third, there must be lawful vigilance at polling units. Voting is not the end of participation; it is the beginning. Citizens must remain present, insist on due process, observe counting, and follow results through legitimate channels. Democracy bends toward those who stay.
Fourth, mobilisation must shift from protest to preparation. Instead of spontaneous outrage, there should be structured voter mapping, polling-unit coverage, and coordinated communication. Anti-democratic forces plan in advance; democracy must do the same.
Finally, the people must recover confidence in their own power. History shows that when citizens act collectively and consistently, even the most entrenched manipulation becomes unsustainable. The ballot remains the most potent non-violent weapon in a democracy, but only in the hands of those who use it.
Finally, what would you say to Attorney Onyirimba if he is listening?
I would say this: the calls for you to serve are sincere, but they must be matched by civic seriousness. Okigwe must first demonstrate readiness, through registration, turnout, and lawful defence of the vote. When the people answer that call, leadership decisions become clearer.
And your message to the people?
If you desire a change of fortune for Okigwe zone and before calling anyone to lead, answer your own civic call. Register. Collect your PVC. Turn out en masse. Vote. Stay. Defend the process lawfully. That is how democracy is reclaimed.
Bottom Line
Okigwe’s challenge is not the absence of good options; it is the absence of disciplined civic action. The people’s will has always existed; it has simply not been fully deployed.
When citizens register, turn out en masse, and lawfully defend their votes, the equation changes. At that point, leadership emerges naturally, and democracy speaks with a clear, unmistakable voice.
