The Mandate 27 Group has launched a fresh attack on the member representing Ikwuano/Umuahia North/Umuahia South Federal Constituency, Hon. Obi Aguocha, accusing him of poor legislative performance, political desperation and failure to deliver critical infrastructure projects to his constituents.
In a strongly worded statement titled “The Pathetic Desperation of a Sitting Rep Who Fears a Man Out of Office — Why Ikwuano Umuahia Has Rejected Aguocha,” the group alleged that the lawmaker had become more concerned with attacking former Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Chinedum Enyinnaya Orji, than addressing pressing developmental challenges facing the constituency.
According to the group, Aguocha’s continued political exchanges involving the Orji family reflect what it described as an attempt to divert public attention from questions surrounding his performance since assuming office in June 2023.
The group questioned why a serving federal lawmaker would allegedly feel threatened by Chinedum Orji, who left public office in 2023.
“Rt. Hon. Chinedum Enyinnaya Orji left office in June 2023. He holds no budget and no committee chairmanship that determines the fate of Ikwuano Umuahia. Yet Hon. Obi Aguocha, who presently holds power, appears uncomfortable whenever his name is mentioned,” the statement read.
Mandate 27 Group challenged Aguocha to provide updates on several infrastructure projects, including the Olokoro-Ahiaukwu-Amangwo-Umuajata-Ngwa Road, identified as Contract 6063, the proposed Iyi Umudere Bridge and rural road projects expected to benefit from the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP).
The group claimed that approximately ₦204.2 million had been appropriated for the Olokoro-Ahiaukwu-Amangwo-Umuajata Road project, questioning what legislative steps Aguocha had taken to ensure its implementation.
It further argued that effective representation requires sustained engagement with relevant federal ministries, contractors and government agencies to ensure that appropriated funds translate into completed projects.
According to the statement, the lawmaker should be engaging the Federal Ministry of Works and other relevant authorities over the road project rather than becoming involved in political exchanges.
The group also raised concerns about the Iyi Umudere Bridge, claiming that the project had been captured under the World Bank-supported RAAMP initiative but had yet to receive the necessary attention.
It maintained that legislative representation should go beyond constituency visits, donations and public appearances to include lawmaking, oversight, budget monitoring and the attraction of federal projects.
Mandate 27 Group also criticised Aguocha’s approach to human capital development, questioning the impact of his empowerment programmes on the constituency.
The group cited a reported ₦1.8 million donation towards erosion intervention in Umuekwule and the award of 20 scholarships, arguing that such initiatives were insufficient to address the constituency’s broader developmental needs.
It also referenced allegations surrounding electricity restoration in Ofeke-Azueke, Ndume Ibeku, claiming that some community members had disputed reports of the lawmaker’s involvement.
The group further accused Aguocha of failing to secure meaningful interventions for erosion-affected communities, including Amaeke Ibeku and Umuekwule.
Turning to the 2027 general elections, Mandate 27 Group described Chinedum Orji as a credible alternative capable of providing what it called effective and result-oriented representation.
It argued that Orji’s experience as Majority Leader and later Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly had equipped him with the legislative knowledge required to attract federal attention to the constituency’s challenges.
The group highlighted projects it attributed to Orji during his years in public office, including mini-stadiums, electricity transformers and empowerment initiatives, describing them as examples of sustainable constituency development.
According to the statement, Orji possesses the experience and political capacity to pursue the completion of the Olokoro-Ahiaukwu-Amangwo-Umuajata Road, Iyi Umudere Bridge and the remaining sections of the Umuahia-Ikwuano-Ikot Ekpene Road.
“Rt. Hon. Chinedum Enyinnaya Orji is the man who would fight for what belongs to Ikwuano Umuahia Federal Constituency. He would not divert attention from the real issues,” the group stated.
Mandate 27 Group further claimed that dissatisfaction with Aguocha’s representation was growing across communities in Ikwuano, Umuahia North and Umuahia South.
It argued that concerns over roads, erosion, electricity, youth unemployment and other developmental challenges could influence voters’ decisions in the 2027 National Assembly election.
The group maintained that the constituency needed a representative capable of translating legislative experience into tangible development rather than engaging in prolonged political disagreements.
Concluding, Mandate 27 Group insisted that Chinedum Orji remained its preferred alternative to Aguocha ahead of 2027, describing the former Speaker as a politician with the legislative experience and capacity to deliver meaningful representation.
The group’s assertions about Aguocha’s performance, the status of the cited projects and the level of public support for either politician remain its own claims.
A response from Hon. Obi Aguocha to the latest allegations was not included in the statement.
