{"id":10577,"date":"2026-09-16T08:23:58","date_gmt":"2026-09-16T08:23:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/panoramanews.com.ng\/?p=10577"},"modified":"2026-09-16T08:24:48","modified_gmt":"2026-09-16T08:24:48","slug":"onyirimba-mobilises-okigwe-leaders-for-a-new-development-agenda","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/panoramanews.com.ng\/index.php\/2026\/09\/16\/onyirimba-mobilises-okigwe-leaders-for-a-new-development-agenda\/","title":{"rendered":"Onyirimba mobilises Okigwe leaders for a new development agenda"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Anthony<\/p>\n

Kindly share:<\/p>\n

With the 2027 senatorial election approaching, Attorney Charles Chibuike Onyirimba has begun rallying leaders and coordinators across Okigwe Zone around what he describes as a new development agenda anchored on unity, economic empowerment, effective representation and collective responsibility.<\/p>\n

Onyirimba, the Action Democratic Party (ADP) senatorial candidate for Okigwe Zone, made the call while addressing LGA coordinators and campaign leaders from the six local government areas, urging them to see the political project as more than an electoral contest.<\/p>\n

He told the gathering that the task ahead was to build a united movement capable of taking his message of renewal to communities across the zone and mobilising the people around a common vision for the future.<\/p>\n

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The meeting also provided an opportunity for campaign leaders to outline the qualities they believe are necessary for effective representation at the National Assembly.<\/p>\n

Addressing the gathering, Chief Magnus Orjiako declared: \u201cWe want a senator, not a businessman,\u201d urging members of the campaign organisation to understand their individual responsibilities and operate according to their areas of competence.<\/p>\n

Orjiako argued that the same principle should guide the choice of a representative for Okigwe. Just as people seek professionals according to their areas of expertise, he said, the zone needs a representative with the professional understanding required to perform the legislative responsibilities of a senator hence the need to elect a lawyer as it’s senator.<\/p>\n

He particularly pointed to the legal background of Onyirimba, arguing that knowledge of law could be valuable in a position whose primary constitutional responsibility is legislation.<\/p>\n

The Director-General of the campaign organisation, Mrs. Favour Nwelue, said the purpose of the meeting was to enable the leaders to hear directly from the candidate and gain a deeper understanding of his vision.<\/p>\n

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She explained that such understanding would equip the coordinators to communicate the message more effectively to the electorate in their respective LGAs and communities.<\/p>\n

Earlier, Onyirimba, who had remained unrelenting in his grassroots mobilisation, received an enthusiastic welcome from women supporters, who greeted him with dancing and other expressions of goodwill.<\/p>\n

When he took the microphone, he began by emphasising peace, love and unity, leading the gathering in a song centred on unity of purpose.<\/p>\n

He said no meaningful development could take place where there was war, disagreement and persistent division, stressing that disunity had been one of the major reasons Okigwe Zone had remained backward.<\/p>\n

According to him, the time had come for the people to put aside personal interests and work together to change the fortunes of their homeland.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere there is war, dispute and disagreement, there is nothing,\u201d he said, linking Okigwe’s lack of advancement to years of disunity and urging the people to embrace cooperation as the foundation for progress.<\/p>\n

Onyirimba presented his emergence on the ADP platform as a fresh political beginning, arguing that the party’s relatively small structure should not be mistaken for weakness.<\/p>\n

He likened the situation to the biblical account of Jesus Christ coming from Nazareth, a seemingly insignificant town, to accomplish a mission of global significance.<\/p>\n

He said he is on a mission to \u201cbring light where darkness exists\u201d in the zone.<\/p>\n

\u201cEnough is enough,\u201d he declared, saying he had returned home not simply to seek political office but to contribute to the rebuilding of Okigwe Zone.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have come home to help my home, Okigwe Zone,\u201d he said, challenging the people to imagine what could be achieved if they collectively committed themselves to changing the land.<\/p>\n

A major component of his message was economic empowerment.\u00a0 Onyirimba said representation must ultimately translate into opportunities that enable people to earn a living and provide for their families.<\/p>\n

Among several laudable initiatives he marshalled, he spoke of proposed economic clusters under which young people with similar interests could be organised into groups, trained, equipped and supported with start-up resources to establish viable enterprises.<\/p>\n

For Onyirimba, the objective is to create an economic chain in which opportunities given to one group produce benefits for others. He illustrated this with the idea of workers closing by 5 p.m., patronising restaurants and other local businesses, thereby creating a spillover effect throughout the local economy. Moreover, he envisaged a situation where the products of one cluster would meet the needs of another, causing an inter-dependence that would ensure that the clusters remained active.<\/p>\n

He stressed that different people would occupy different positions within the clusters and eventual development structure, but all should be regarded as co-equal contributors to the collective mission.<\/p>\n

He also spoke of practical support for vulnerable elderly people, including the establishment of food depots from where food packages and other necessities would be regularly delivered at the doorsteps of elderly constituents to ensure that none goes hungry.<\/p>\n

The ADP candidate also reminded Turning to the role of a senator, Onyirimba reminded the campaign leaders that the Senate is fundamentally a legislative institution.<\/p>\n

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He said Okigwe therefore needs a representative who understands lawmaking, national policy, legislative advocacy and the processes through which development opportunities can be secured for constituents.<\/p>\n

He added that an effective senator must also be capable of building relationships beyond partisan boundaries when necessary, arguing that political differences should not become obstacles to securing legitimate benefits for the people.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have not come to lead; I have come to serve,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Onyirimba expressed concern about the condition of Okigwe Zone and what he described as years of inadequate representation.<\/p>\n

He argued that the situation confronting the zone is sufficiently obvious to ordinary citizens and therefore requires a deliberate effort by the people to take ownership of their future instead of waiting indefinitely for a personality, political godfather or external force to develop the zone.<\/p>\n

He said his decision to run on the ADP platform was part of that philosophy: building a new political structure around the people rather than simply following established political arrangements.<\/p>\n

Pointing to the symbolism of the ADP logo, which he associated with the Bible, Onyirimba returned to his Nazareth analogy, arguing that greatness does not necessarily emerge from the largest or most established structure.<\/p>\n

Just as Jesus Christ emerged from Nazareth to bring salvation to humanity, he said, the person who would help bring transformation to Okigwe could emerge from a relatively small political platform.<\/p>\n

He, therefore, urged the people of the six local government areas to vote for the ADP in the 2027 senatorial election.<\/p>\n

According to Onyirimba, what distinguishes his candidacy is not political pedigree but the absence of the traditional mindset of a career politician, which he is not.<\/p>\n

He described himself instead as a missionary driven by a simple but profound assignment: to transform, renew and rebuild Okigwe Zone.<\/p>\n

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He called on the coordinators and leaders to carry the message beyond the meeting, stressing that the success of the project would depend on collective action.<\/p>\n

His message was clear: Okigwe cannot afford another cycle of division, political complacency and inadequate representation. Its future, he said, must be built by people united around a common purpose and determined to make development happen.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n