Election season is back here with us again and expectedly, the contenders and gladiators are back with promises of heaven and earth. We are not going to be deceived by sugarcoat impressionists who use us as pawns on their chess board of usury.

We in the Ikwuano and Umuahia North and South Federal Constituency have our eyes wide awake just like most other Abians are woken from slumber of misrule that lasted for 24 years long. We would not return to Egypt, no matter the sugarcoated promise. We have today seen the difference between light and darkness. Let me go straight to my message.

There is no doubt on my mind that the majority of our constituents are of the strong belief that Hon. Obi Aguocha is serving us what we ordered in terms of strong representation and is therefore deserving of continuity. Come let us rally round him to continue his good works of putting the people’s interest first where it matters.

His 24 motions as an opposition legislator and two pending bills stand him out as an active representative in any clime. The amiable legislator again stood out very tall in the case of our brother Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. Hon. Aguocha followed the issue of MNK to virtually all power pillars in this country: Sokoto, Katsina, Zamfara, Kano, Kaduna, Minna, Ondo, Ogun, Ibadan, Osun, Enugu, name it.

While he went around meeting various tribal and national leaders to crack the hard nut of MNK unjust incarceration, he was labeled an IPOB sponsor, sympathizer and Biafra apologist. No leader in Alaigbo dead or alive took half the risks Aguocha took to solicit for the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. His venerable roles in trying to resolve this very sensitive matter for Ndigbo will not only be rewarded by his return to the House of Representatives but will be upheld in the annals of our history.

Court records recognizes his passionate plea for mercy just before Judge Omotosho delivered his judgment of life imprisonment on MNK. Obi Aguocha made Igbos proud when he stood up boldly to address the court even when MNK counsels remained glued to their chairs. This, to me, is what representation is all about. It is a rare act of grit and guts when it matters most, not noise making.

I have seen critics of Aguocha saying he’s too gentle and lean voiced, uncharacteristic of strong voice for the people. They mistake noise making for strong representation. To them, strong voice is where you come to the floor of the house to jump up and down and flaunt power of “imakwa onye mbu.” It’s a pity. Strong voice to them is when a representative flaunts criminally acquired wealth and fleet of cars.

They want a representative who cannot disclose his source of enormous wealth after spending sixteen years in power looting the resources of his state. They mistake a strong voice to abuse of privileges of office. They call it strong representation when their preferred candidate has criminal summons from various anti-corruption agencies in the country.

Let me make it abundantly clear to all who care to listen that what their preferred candidate is looking for is an opportunity to once again start using long convoys of cars and security personnel which he can no longer access because of loss of privileges of office. Their preferred candidate needs security cover to be able to move around since he can not walk around freely on our streets. Sending him to the National Assembly guarantees him access to security details to restart his brazen acts of impunity.

Why gamble with such a heinous criminal when you have Hon.Obi Aguocha that walks around freely without security. An honorable member should be at home with his people, not out of touch. Obi Aguocha is our man in whom we’re well pleased. There is No vacancy yet at Ikwuano and Umuahia North and South Federal Constituency. Obi Aguocha is still there.

Ugochi Okoro.