By Anthony
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The grassroots consultations of Attorney Charles Chibuike Onyirimba’s senatorial campaign continued on Thursday with a colourful engagement in Amarakunna, in Isiala Mbano Local Government Area of Imo State where the campaign team received a carnival-like welcome from the Akwa Ugo Dance Troupe.
The vibrant cultural display provided a fitting welcome for the delegation, as it engaged community stakeholders on Onyirimba’s aspiration to represent Okigwe Zone in the Senate in 2027.
Before proceeding to the event, the team paid a courtesy visit to the Paramount Ruler of the community, Eze Mbamara, at his nearby palace.
The monarch warmly received the delegation and offered prayers for the success of the team and its mission.
During the engagement, the Director-General of the campaign, Mrs. Favour Nwelue, presented Onyirimba as a qualified candidate whose legal background, legislative understanding and commitment to public service could help address Okigwe Zone’s development challenges.
She lamented the development gap between Okigwe Zone and Orlu and Owerri zones, arguing that the problem was not a lack of capable people but poor representation over the years.
According to her, the Senate is primarily a lawmaking institution, not a place for looting public funds. She stressed the need for representatives capable of contributing to sound legislation, pursuing employment opportunities and advancing policies that would ease the suffering of the people.
Nwelue identified unemployment as a major concern requiring urgent attention. She called for a liberated and progressive Okigwe Zone that residents could be proud of, adding that Isiala Mbano and Ehime Mbano should be at the forefront of the transformation effort.
She also advocated exploring the creation of additional local government areas to address perceived structural disadvantages, noting that any such initiative would have to follow the relevant constitutional and legal procedures, which Onyirimba is capable of championing.
The Director-General reminded the people that they had a responsibility to change their political circumstances through the ballot. She urged eligible voters to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards, vote according to their convictions and protect their votes against manipulation.
Following the Amarakunna engagement, two separate delegations visited Onyirimba’s residence in Umuduruegwele, Umueze II, Ehime Mbano, and were received by the campaign team.
In the first visit, all ten ward leaders of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Obowo LGA came to the candidate’s residence to declare their support for his senatorial ambition and express their willingness to participate actively in the campaign.
They said that in absence of an ADC for the Okigwe Zone and having assessed all the contestants for the seat, they have no alternative but to endorse Onyirimba who they described as competent and capable to give Okigwe Zone the voice it had lacked for long.
In a separate visit, leaders drawn from the three flanks that make up Isiala Mbano also arrived at Onyirimba’s residence to affirm their support for his senatorial project as a followup to an earlier engagement.
Led by Hon. Eddy Ogor, the delegation’s visit provided another opportunity for engagement for the consideration of issues affecting the area and the wider Okigwe Zone.
The two visits, though separate, reflected the continuing consultations between Onyirimba and political and community leaders, as the campaign seeks to build relationships across the zone.
The Amarakunna reception, the ADC ward leaders’ visit and the separate Isiala Mbano delegation’s visit formed distinct engagements within the broader consultation process ahead of the 2027 senatorial election.
All unanimously agreed that Okigwe Zone needs different representation in the Senate and endorsed Onyirimba as that qualified candidate to speak for the zone.
However, they urged inclusive efforts towards realising the dream and emphasised that the votes must be protected to avoid rigging or manipulation.
The teams were received by Mrs. Nwelue, the campaign’s director general, Chief Magnus Orjiako (Ohamadike); Director of Security and Police Affairs; Chief Ferdinand Ogor, Chief Strategic Officer, and Pastor Anthony Iwuoma, Director of Media and Stakeholders Affairs, among others.
They thanked the delegations for believing in Onyirimba and promised to work together with them to achieve the set goals.
“We highly appreciate your coming,” Nwelue said. “We assure you that we shall work together to deliver Attorney Charles Onyirimba to represent Okigwe Zone in the next Senate. We also assure everyone that none shall be forgotten at the time of harvest.”
