The newly appointed Director-General of the Charles Onyirimba Campaign Council speaks on her new assignment, women in politics, grassroots mobilisation, the six LGAs of Okigwe Zone and why she believes the 2027 election should be about the people, not political godfathers.
The appointment of Mrs. Favour Nwelue as Director-General of the Charles Onyirimba Campaign Council has added a new dimension to the emerging 2027 senatorial contest in Okigwe Zone. She is expected to coordinate the campaign’s political and grassroots mobilisation machinery across the six local government areas that make up Imo North Senatorial District. This also places a woman at the centre of one of the most closely watched political campaigns in the zone.
In this interview, Nwelue speaks about her new responsibility, the Onyirimba candidacy, the challenges ahead and why she believes the people of Okigwe Zone are ready for a different kind of politics.
You have just been appointed Director-General of Charles Onyirimba’s Campaign Council. What went through your mind when you received the appointment?
I felt honoured, but more importantly, I felt challenged. The position of Director-General is not merely a title. It comes with enormous responsibility. You are expected to coordinate people, ideas, structures and expectations and ultimately help translate a candidate’s vision into a movement that ordinary people can understand and participate in.
So, my first reaction was not simply excitement. It was a sober recognition of the work ahead.
I know Okigwe Zone. I understand the diversity of our people and I understand the political environment we are operating in. I also know that people are tired of being treated as statistics that matter only when elections are approaching. That is why I accepted the assignment. I believe this campaign allows us to organise politics differently.
What exactly does the job of Campaign DG mean to you?
To me, the DG is the engine room of the campaign. But an engine room does not operate alone. It works with the driver, the technical team and every other component of the vehicle. My responsibility is therefore to coordinate the campaign council, ensure that our various directorates understand their assignments, strengthen our grassroots structures and maintain communication between the leadership and the people.
We have six local government areas, numerous wards and communities, different interests and different expectations. We must create a structure that recognises those differences while keeping everyone focused on one objective. That objective is to take our message to the people and allow them to make an informed decision.
Why Charles Onyirimba? Why did you choose to identify with his political project?
Because I believe the conversation around Okigwe’s future has to change. For too long, politics has been reduced to who has the biggest political structure, who has the most money or who has the backing of powerful individuals. But the real question should be: what does the candidate bring to the table? What is his capacity? What is his vision? What can he do with the opportunity if the people entrust him with their mandate?
When I look at Attorney Charles Onyirimba, I see someone whose professional background, exposure and experience can be brought to bear on the challenges facing our people.
Onyirimba has sometimes spoken of the “Okigwe Peoples Party”, even though he is contesting under a recognised political party. What do you understand that phrase to mean?
I understand it as a political philosophy, not merely a party name. The message is that the ultimate owners of the mandate are the people. Political parties provide platforms. Political structures facilitate elections. Supporters mobilise. Candidates contest. But at the end of the day, the mandate belongs to the people who cast the votes. So, when Onyirimba talks about the Okigwe Peoples Party, I believe he is saying: let the people become the political structure.
Let the communities decide what they want from their representative. Let voters ask questions.
Let them demand accountability. Let them refuse to surrender their political choices simply because somebody is considered a godfather or because another candidate has deeper pockets. That is the spirit behind the idea.
Critics may say that money and political structures are realities of Nigerian politics. How do you intend to compete against candidates with established machinery?
We are not pretending that political machinery does not matter. It does. Organisation matters. Resources matter. Structures matter. But there is another resource that is even more important: people. If you have people who believe in what you are doing, people who are willing to organise in their communities and people who understand that an election is about their future, you have something powerful. Our job is to build that kind of organisation. We will not underestimate our opponents. We will respect every candidate in the race. But we will also not allow ourselves to be intimidated by political structures. Our focus will be organisation, communication, mobilisation and voter engagement.
You are the second woman to occupy the position of DG of a major Imo North senatorial campaign. Is that significant to you?
Very significant. But I want to move beyond simply celebrating the fact that a woman has been appointed. Women have always played important roles in Nigerian politics. The problem is that women are often expected to mobilise voters, provide support and fill the crowds, but are not always given enough space where strategic decisions are made. So, when a woman is entrusted with a position like this, it sends a message. It says women are not merely mobilisers. Women can lead. Women can coordinate. Women can strategise. Women can negotiate. Women can take responsibility for major political assignments. I, therefore, see this appointment as both an honour and a responsibility to other women.
What is your immediate priority as DG?
Organisation. Before we start talking about victory, we must build the structure that can deliver a credible campaign. We have to look carefully at our wards and communities. We have to identify people who genuinely understand their communities. We have to establish clear channels of communication. We also need to listen. A campaign should not be a machine that only talks to voters. It must be a structure that listens to voters.
We want to know what people are worried about. We want to know what young people expect. We want to know what women want. We want to understand the concerns of farmers, traders, professionals, workers, students and people living in rural communities.
That information must shape our campaign.
What do you consider the biggest political challenge facing Okigwe Zone?
I think one of our biggest challenges is the disconnect between political representation and the everyday experiences of the people. People want roads. They want jobs and economic opportunities. They want security. They want better healthcare and education. They want support for agriculture and small businesses. Young people want a future. So, political representation must become more practical. We should not only ask who won an election. We should ask what the representative did with the mandate. That is the kind of conversation we want to promote.
The campaign council is composed of over 30 significant personalities, comprising politicians, technocrats and people from different backgrounds. What does that tell you about the campaign?
It tells me that we understand that no single person can represent every interest. The six local government areas are diverse. Our campaign must, therefore, reflect that diversity. We need politicians who understand political organisation. We need technocrats who understand policy and development. We need professionals. We need women. We need young people. We need community leaders. We also need to give every local government a voice. However, the strength of a campaign is not necessarily determined by the number of people in a photograph. It is determined by the quality of the people doing the work and the seriousness with which they approach their assignments.
Some voters are cynical about campaign promises. How will you convince them that this is different?
You won’t blame them. The cynicism is borne of previous disappointments. But we are not asking them to believe blindly. We should allow people to ask difficult questions, not shout them down. What exactly does the candidate want to achieve, o has done with previous mandate, if any? How does he intend to achieve it? What is within the constitutional responsibility of a senator? What requires collaboration with government agencies or other institutions? What can be measured? Those are legitimate questions. If we say we are different, then we must be prepared to be held accountable to a higher standard.
Are you worried about vote-buying and the influence of money in the 2027 election?
It is a concern for every serious democrat. But I believe voters are becoming more conscious. People can collect whatever somebody offers them, but they should understand that their vote is their power. The greatest danger is when a voter sells his future for something that disappears in a few hours. We will continue to encourage lawful participation and respect for the electoral process. We want people to vote according to their conscience.
What would you say to those who believe Onyirimba cannot compete because he is not backed by one of the dominant political structures?
I would say: watch the people. We have the backing of Okigwe people and no structure is more dominant than that. Political structures are important, but elections are ultimately about voters. Our responsibility is to build an organisation that reaches those voters. We are not going into this election believing that victory will come automatically. We are going to work for every vote. That is why this appointment is important. It is about building the organisation that can take the message to the people.
What should voters expect from you as Campaign DG?
They should expect a campaign that is organised, respectful and accessible. They should expect us to engage them. They should expect us to listen. And they should expect us to defend the principle that the people have the right to determine who represents them. I also want our campaign to be peaceful. Politics should not turn brothers against brothers or communities against communities. We can disagree politically and still remain one people.
Finally, what is your message to the people of Okigwe Zone as you assume this responsibility?
My message is simple: this election belongs to you. Do not allow anyone to make you believe that your political decision belongs to a godfather, a political merchant, a wealthy individual, or any other person. The mandate belongs to you, the people. Ask questions. Examine the candidates. Look at their capacity, character, vision, and understanding of the problems confronting our zone. And when the time comes, make your decision peacefully and courageously. As for us, we are ready to work. We will go to the communities. We will go to the wards. We will listen. We will organize. We will mobilize. And we will present Attorney Charles Onyirimba to the people of Okigwe Zone, not as someone asking them to surrender their mandate, but as someone asking them to examine whether he deserves it. That is the campaign I have accepted to lead. And I take that responsibility very seriously.