By Anthony Iwuoma
Across Okigwe Zone in Imo State, a sober reflection is unfolding. It is not driven by partisan frenzy or premature campaign slogans. It is driven by a deeper question: What has representation truly meant for us?
For too long, the Okigwe Senatorial seat has symbolised distance rather than presence, silence rather than advocacy, and routine occupancy rather than purposeful leadership. Constituents have watched a troubling pattern repeat itself, intense electioneering followed by legislative invisibility.
Budgets are announced, yet projects remain elusive.
Commitments are declared, yet accountability mechanisms are absent.
Mandates are secured, yet engagement with constituents diminishes.
This is not merely political fatigue. It is democratic erosion.
And in the midst of this reckoning, one name continues to surface organically in conversations across town halls, professional circles, community meetings, and Diaspora forums: Attorney Charles Onyirimba.
Let it be clearly stated, as of this writing, Attorney Onyirimba has not declared any intention to contest the Senate seat. He has not mounted campaign billboards. He has not convened political rallies. He has not issued formal declarations.
Yet, paradoxically, his name grows stronger in public discourse.
Why?
Because leadership credibility is not manufactured during election season. It is built over decades.
Attorney Onyirimba is widely known as a seasoned legal practitioner and journalist whose professional life has revolved around advocacy, truth-telling, and institutional accountability. In courtrooms, he has defended rights. In media spaces, he has challenged excesses. In civic engagements, he has emphasised transparency. In philanthropy, even without political office, he has remained the unmatched God-sent refuge for several for decades.
Unlike many who approach public office as an entry point into relevance, Onyirimba’s relevance predates politics.
In his private capacity, he has:
*Sponsored and mentored underprivileged students across communities in Okigwe Zone
*Supported women and youth through small enterprise funding initiatives
*Built a house for a hapless widow and her children.
*Facilitated access to legal and medical assistance for vulnerable families
*Provided platforms for young media professionals to develop their craft
These actions were not campaign-driven gestures. They were expressions of civic responsibility long before any electoral speculation.
That distinction matters.
The Moment Demands More Than Popularity
As Nigeria approaches another electoral cycle under the supervision of the Independent National Electoral Commission, the conversation in Okigwe must move beyond party lines and political theatrics.
The central issue is representation with measurable accountability.
Okigwe Zone needs a senator who understands that:
*A mandate is a covenant, not a trophy.
*Legislative power is stewardship, not entitlement.
*Visibility in Abuja must be matched with accessibility at home.
What distinguishes Onyirimba in public perception is not noise; it is discipline. Not flamboyance, but clarity of thought. Not transactional politics, but principled engagement.
Though he has not declared, supporters and civic advocates who admire his record often articulate what his leadership could represent if he were to accept the call.
They envision a senator who would institutionalize:
*Quarterly constituency town halls with documented legislative briefings
*Public tracking of constituency projects, including cost and contractor transparency
*Routine publication of Senate attendance and voting records
*Voluntary asset disclosure beyond statutory requirements
*Annual performance scorecards detailing measurable outcomes
Whether or not he formally steps forward, the very fact that such expectations are being projected onto him reveals something deeper: the people are hungry for standards, not slogans.
In democratic societies, credibility is currency. And credibility cannot be improvised.
Attorney Onyirimba’s strength, as widely acknowledged by those who follow his work, lies in three enduring qualities:
*Consistency: His voice has remained principled regardless of shifting political winds.
*Accessibility: He maintains community-level engagement rather than elite isolation.
*Intellectual Depth: He approaches governance issues with legal precision and analytical clarity.
In an era where representation often dissolves into patronage networks and transactional alliances, character becomes the differentiating factor.
The forthcoming 2027 election will not simply be another political exercise. It will be a referendum on whether Okigwe Zone is prepared to recalibrate its expectations of leadership.
The choice before the people will not be about who speaks the loudest or who trends most on Whatsaap platforms. It will be about who can be trusted longest.
If Attorney Charles Onyirimba ultimately decides to answer the growing calls urging him to run, as many pray he will, he will enter the arena not as an experimental candidate or proxy for political merchants, but as a tested professional with an established and enviable footprint.
And if he chooses not to run, the principles his name now symbolises, transparency, measurable accountability, civic accessibility, will still remain the standards by which every aspirant should be judged.
Because ultimately, this conversation is bigger than one man.
It is about restoring dignity to representation.
It is about reclaiming accountability as a non-negotiable democratic value.
It is about reminding elected officials that seats belong to the people.
Okigwe Zone deserves leadership that answers. Always.
*Anthony Iwuoma
Journalist/Columnist/ Pastor
Faith .Family . Power .Moral Clarity