By Anthony Iwuoma
For decades, Okigwe Zone has occupied an uncomfortable position in Imo State’s development narrative. Endowed with talented people, abundant human resources, fertile land, and enormous economic potential, the zone continues to grapple with poor infrastructure, dwindling opportunities, political manipulation, and a growing sense of abandonment.
Many residents argue that the problem is not a lack of government presence but the quality of representation and leadership that has emerged over the years. They point to the influence of political godfathers, the commercialisation of politics, the imposition of candidates by external interests, and a culture of blind loyalty that often rewards failure while punishing accountability.
As conversations around the 2027 Senate race intensify, a new debate is taking shape across communities in the zone. Can Okigwe break free from the old political order? Can competence finally triumph over patronage? Can the people unite around a common vision for development rather than personal interests and divisive politics?
In this exclusive interview with our correspondent, Chief Thomas Alakwe, a concerned native of Okigwe Zone, speaks candidly about the forces that have held the zone back, the dangers of the “our turn” mentality, the consequences of disunity, and why many citizens are beginning to see Attorney Charles Onyirimba and the Action Democratic Party, ADP, as a possible departure from politics as usual.
Many people describe Okigwe Zone as the least developed of the three senatorial zones in Imo State. Why has this been the case?
The painful truth is that Okigwe Zone is not poor because God forgot us. We are poor because leadership has repeatedly failed us. For decades, politics here has been dominated by individuals who see public office as a private investment. Elections are often approached as business ventures where the goal is to recover political expenses rather than serve the people.
While other zones have steadily expanded their infrastructure, educational opportunities, healthcare systems, and economic prospects, Okigwe has remained trapped in a cycle of promises and disappointments. We have produced leaders, but very few have produced development.
Many people blame political godfathers. Is that fair?
Absolutely. Political godfatherism has done enormous damage to the zone. In many cases, candidates are not selected because they are the best. They are selected and imposed on the people because they are the most loyal to certain interests.
The result is that elected officials often serve those who installed them rather than the people the zone. Their primary concern becomes pleasing political patrons instead of addressing the needs of communities.
A representative who owes his seat to a godfather can hardly fight for the masses when their interests clash.
Is it true that outsiders often play a role in determining who represents Okigwe Zone?
Far too much. One of our greatest tragedies is allowing external interests to decide our political future.
Too often, candidates emerge not because the people chose them but because powerful forces somewhere decided they were convenient. Elections become transactions negotiated in private rooms rather than decisions made by the electorate.
A people who surrender the power to choose their leaders eventually surrender the benefits of good leadership as well.
Some critics say voters themselves share part of the blame.
They do. We must be honest with ourselves. Many people defend failure simply because they receive temporary benefits. Some collect small gifts and then spend four years defending incompetence. Others attack anyone who questions poor leadership because they hope to benefit personally.
A stomach filled for one day cannot compensate for roads not built, schools not improved, hospitals not equipped, and jobs never created.
The future of a people cannot be exchanged for a bag of rice or a few banknotes.
What about the popular “our turn” argument?
That mentality has hurt us greatly. Leadership should never be about whose turn it is. It should be about who is most capable.
When competence is replaced with entitlement, mediocrity becomes inevitable. A zone seeking development must ask, “Who can deliver?” not merely, “Whose turn is it?”
A bridge does not stand because it was someone’s turn to build it. It stands because qualified engineers built it.
How much has disunity contributed to the zone’s challenges?
More than many people realise. Our communities often pull in different directions. Personal interests, clan rivalries, and political divisions have weakened our collective voice.
While others unite around common objectives, we frequently waste energy fighting one another. Disunity makes it easier for political opportunists to manipulate the people and easier for external interests to dominate the zone. No people can rise when they are constantly divided against themselves.
Recently, some people have been talking about Attorney Charles Onyirimba and the ADP. Why?
Because many people are searching for a fresh alternative. Attorney Charles Onyirimba represents something many voters have not seen in a long time: the possibility of evaluating a candidate based on ideas, competence, vision, and track record rather than political structures and inherited influence.
His association with the ADP has also forced people to ask an important question: Should voters choose a party or choose a leader? History has shown repeatedly that major political parties do not automatically guarantee development. Roads are not built by party logos. Jobs are not created by party slogans. Hospitals do not function because a party is large. What matters is the quality, integrity, and commitment of the individual elected.
Some argue that a relatively unknown party cannot win.
Every successful political movement was once considered impossible. Political parties derive strength from the people, not the other way around. When citizens become determined, even the most established political structures can be defeated.
Democracy is ultimately a numbers game. If enough people believe in a vision and defend their votes, no political platform is too small to succeed. All that is required is to create an enabling environment for a free and fair election; let the people’s vote count.
When we talk about roads, schools, hospitals, employment, and other development needs in Okigwe Zone, are we not expecting too much from a senator? Aren’t these primarily executive responsibilities rather than legislative duties?
That argument sounds logical on the surface, but it ignores how governance actually works.
Yes, a senator is primarily a lawmaker, not a governor, commissioner, or local government chairman. However, a senator is far more than a lawmaking machine. He is the chief political representative and advocate of his people at the national level. A good senator influences policy, attracts federal projects, facilitates interventions from government agencies, lobbies ministries, fights for budgetary allocations, promotes investment opportunities, and uses oversight powers to ensure that projects approved for his constituency are actually executed.
When roads are abandoned, schools are decaying, hospitals are underfunded, and young people cannot find opportunities, a senator cannot simply fold his arms and say, “That is not my responsibility.” Representation is about solving problems, not reciting constitutional boundaries.
The best legislators across Nigeria have demonstrated that effective representation goes beyond sponsoring bills. They have facilitated roads, electrification projects, educational interventions, healthcare facilities, skills acquisition programmes, scholarships, and employment opportunities for their constituents.
The real question is not whether a senator should build roads personally. The real question is whether he is using the influence, access, networks, voice, and authority of his office to improve the lives of the people who sent him there. It is this influence that those rooting for Onyirimba believe he has in abundance and can deploy the same in full for the good of the zone.
If after four years the people cannot point to better opportunities, stronger advocacy, visible interventions, or a louder voice for their interests, then they are justified in asking what exactly their representation achieved.
Leadership is not measured only by titles and constitutional definitions. It is measured by impact.
What must the people of Okigwe Zone do differently in 2027?
First, they must register and obtain their voter cards.
Second, they must study candidates carefully and reject politics based on sentiment, fear, ethnicity, inducement, or empty slogans.
Third, they must unite around competence and character rather than political noise.
Fourth, they must resist every attempt to buy their conscience.
Most importantly, they must remain vigilant throughout the electoral process and ensure that they are not robbed of their votes. This time nobody must write results in one obscure room and declare as the people’s choice.
How can citizens protect their mandate?
Democracy does not end when votes are cast. Citizens must monitor the process peacefully and lawfully. They should insist on transparency, document irregularities where permitted by law, report concerns to the appropriate electoral authorities, and remain engaged throughout the collation process.
The greatest threat to democracy is often not the absence of voters but the absence of vigilance.
Finally, what message do you have for the people of Okigwe Zone?
The choice before us is simple. We can continue repeating the same political habits and expect different results, or we can embrace a new direction based on competence, accountability, unity, and courage. No godfather can save a people who refuse to save themselves. No political party can rescue a people who refuse to demand results. No leader can transform a zone whose citizens have surrendered their power.
The future of Okigwe Zone will not be decided by politicians alone. It will be decided by ordinary men and women who finally choose hope over fear, principle over patronage, and progress over politics as usual.
The time has come for Okigwe Zone to stop asking who should rule and start asking who can truly deliver. That single question may determine whether the next chapter is one of renewal or another season of regret.