By: Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko
“The most essential quality for leadership is not perfection but credibility. People must be able to trust you.
– Rick Warren
Credibility is a leader’s currency. With it, he or she is solvent; without it, he or she is bankrupt.
-John C. Maxwell”
In the turbulent political landscape of Imo State, where loyalty is often mistaken for servitude and silence is worn as a badge of survival, one man has refused to bow. Hon. Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, the federal lawmaker representing Ideato North and South Federal Constituency, stands today as perhaps the last man in the state’s political class who has not traded conscience for convenience. His record in the House of Representatives in just two years bears witness to a rare blend of courage, compassion, and competence; attributes that have become almost alien in today’s Nigerian politics.
When history eventually chronicles the era of Governor Hope Uzodinma, one event will stand out as a moral litmus test; the Arondizuogu tragedy, where over 40 innocent men and women were butchered by armed non-state actors. At a time when the state should have been in mourning, when leadership demanded empathy and solidarity, the political establishment chose celebration. The governor was busy in Abuja, decorating Imo girls who had featured in the Super Falcons’ Nations Cup campaign, while families in Arondizuogu buried their loved ones in tears. The senator representing Imo West Senatorial District, Osita Izunaso; geographically and emotionally close to the tragedy, stayed away, preferring to watch the “body language” of the governor, his political benefactor. Only one elected leader, Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, left the comfort of Abuja and came home to mourn with his people.
That single act separated him from the pack. It was not just about being physically present in Arondizuogu; it was about moral presence; about humanity, empathy, and duty. Ikenga did not go with television cameras or security convoys. He went as a son of the soil, a fellow mourner, a man who still understood that politics must never replace humanity. In a state where fear has gagged the bold and opportunism has become the official creed, his voice rang loud and clear, calling out the government’s indifference and the security agencies’ incompetence. He demanded justice for the slain, naming Gentle Yahoo as the suspected mastermind, even as the police continued to play dead, unable (or unwilling) to arrest a single suspect.
This courage, however, is only one dimension of Ikenga’s service. The other, equally profound, is his performance in the House of Representatives and his transformative impact across Ideato North and South.
In less than two years, Ikenga has redefined what representation should mean. His record is not one of empty motions or camera-friendly press statements. It is a catalogue of tangible projects, legislative interventions, and human-centred initiatives that have touched nearly every community in his constituency. From massive school reconstruction and rehabilitation projects to borehole installations, solar-powered streetlights, and empowerment programmes, his scorecard reads like a decade’s worth of work compressed into 24 months.
Consider the educational infrastructure revolution he initiated. Within this short period, over a dozen schools across Ideato North and South have been rebuilt or newly constructed. From the County School, Akokwa, to the Comprehensive Secondary School Laboratory Block at Umumaisiaku, and the Technical School classroom block at Umuokwara, his intervention has restored life to public education. Communities like Arondizuogu, Amazu Ikpaakaputa, and Uzii now boast rehabilitated schools with new desks, roofs, and laboratories. Over 1,000 school desks have been distributed to primary and secondary schools; a project still ongoing.
Water, another critical necessity long neglected by successive administrations, has equally received unprecedented attention. Across more than 20 communities, from Umueshi and Ndiuche to Ozuakoli and Umuago, boreholes have been drilled and solar-powered water systems installed, ensuring access to clean drinking water for thousands. These are not photo-op projects but functioning systems changing daily life for ordinary people.
Ikenga’s vision extends beyond basic infrastructure. He understands that sustainable development requires power and connectivity. That is why he spearheaded the installation of over 2,000 solar-powered streetlights across Ideato; lighting up roads, churches, schools, and markets once swallowed by darkness. The St. Aloysius Catholic Church Road, Orie Umuobom, Osina Market, and several other areas now enjoy constant solar illumination, improving security and night-time commerce.
In the same vein, his office facilitated the installation of 500KVA transformers in communities like Obodoukwu, Abukwa, and Umuopia Akokwa — restoring electricity to neighbourhoods that had been in the dark for years. In partnership with the Federal Government, he attracted erosion control interventions to the Orlu–Umuchima–Akokwa axis and pushed for the rehabilitation of the OBA–Nnewi–Uga–Akokwa–Arondizuogu road, a lifeline route for the region’s economy.
Yet, Ikenga’s service goes beyond cement and metal. His commitment to human capacity development and empowerment is equally outstanding. Through his annual scholarship programme, more than 400 students from primary, secondary, and tertiary institutions have benefited from full or partial educational sponsorships within two years. The Ikenga Imo Annual Scholarship Examination has become a signature event — a competition that rewards merit and rekindles the academic spirit in Ideato’s youth.
His youth empowerment programmes have also transformed livelihoods. Between 2023 and 2024, he distributed motorbikes, tricycles, and shuttle buses to young entrepreneurs, helping them start micro-transport and delivery businesses. Through his agricultural empowerment scheme, 66 farmers have received tools, seeds, and training to expand food production in their localities. In a state where unemployment fuels restiveness, Ikenga’s practical interventions are stabilizing the grassroots economy.
Every December, he hosts a “Meet and Greet” gathering at his family compound; not a political jamboree, but a people’s assembly where over 30,000 constituents receive financial support, gifts, and opportunities. This yearly outreach has become a social safety net for widows, students, artisans, and the elderly; a gesture of solidarity that transcends politics.
In the National Assembly, Ikenga has been no less vocal. As one of the most vibrant voices in the 10th House of Representatives, he has consistently defended democracy, transparency, and accountability. He has exposed corruption within state institutions, resisted intimidation, and used his platform to amplify the plight of his people. Whether confronting the misuse of public funds or challenging oppressive governance in his state, his interventions have earned him admirers and enemies in equal measure. But like every reformer in a decaying system, he thrives in adversity.
What sets Ikenga apart, however, is not just his performance, but his philosophy. He represents a new model of political leadership; one rooted in conscience and compassion rather than calculation and control. His politics is not about patronage; it is about presence. When disaster struck Arondizuogu, he did not issue a condolence statement from the safety of Abuja; he walked the blood-stained soil with his people. When the power brokers in Owerri demanded silence, he spoke. When sycophancy became the norm, he chose truth.
It is therefore unsurprising that his relationship with the Imo State Government has been frosty. His refusal to submit to the dominance of Governor Hope Uzodinma’s political machinery has earned him relentless attacks; legal harassment, smear campaigns, and threats. Yet, none of these has deterred him. In a state where nearly all federal and state lawmakers have become appendages of the executive, Ikenga stands alone, unbowed and unbought. He is, in every sense, the last man standing.
The irony is profound: the same governor who could fly to Abuja to celebrate the Super Falcons’ players could not drive a few hours to console bereaved families in Arondizuogu. The same administration that organizes lavish receptions for visiting dignitaries could not send even a delegation to the mass burial of 40 citizens. The message was clear; the people’s pain does not matter as much as political optics. Yet, amidst that moral vacuum, one lawmaker chose to act. That is what leadership looks like.
Critics may argue that infrastructure and charity are not enough; and they would be right. But when placed side by side with his peers, Ikenga’s record stands tall. In just two years, he has accomplished what many legislators fail to achieve in eight. His projects are spread across the constituency, not concentrated in a single village. His empowerment initiatives are inclusive, his scholarship transparent, and his public communication open. He has demystified representation by making it people-driven, participatory, and practical.
Beyond Ideato, his example is redefining what it means to be a young lawmaker in Nigeria. At a time when youth politics is often dismissed as noisy but empty, Ikenga has combined youthful energy with measurable impact. He has proven that activism and governance are not mutually exclusive; that one can challenge the system and still deliver within it. In the process, he has inspired a new generation of Imo youths to believe that integrity in politics is still possible.
But his courage comes at a price. Being the last man standing in Imo State’s political space means walking alone. It means constant threats, political isolation, and orchestrated propaganda. It means being branded a troublemaker simply because you refuse to be a puppet. Yet, every society needs such men; voices that speak truth to power when others have lost their tongues. Without them, democracy degenerates into dictatorship in disguise.
The Arondizuogu massacre remains a scar on Imo’s conscience. The people still live in fear, their killers still free. But history will remember who stood with them when it mattered. Not the governor who chose photo opportunities over funerals. Not the senator who waited for clearance from his “oga.” It will remember Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere; the man who showed up, spoke up, and stood up.
Two years may seem short in political time, but for Ideato, it has been transformative. From classrooms to boreholes, from scholarships to streetlights, Ikenga’s footprint is everywhere. He has restored dignity to representation and hope to a people long abandoned by those they elected. His name now resonates not as a mere politician, but as a symbol of resistance, resilience, and results.
As Nigeria prepares for another electoral cycle, Imo State must reflect deeply. It must ask itself why only one man had the courage to stand with the people during their darkest hour. It must question a system where political loyalty outweighs human life. And it must recognize, before it is too late, that leaders like Ikenga are not common. They are the exception; the rare ones who remember that power is a privilege, not an inheritance.
In the final analysis, Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere is not merely a legislator; he is a movement; a reminder that conscience still has a place in politics. In a state drowning in fear and sycophancy, he remains the lighthouse guiding the people’s hope.
Truly, in Imo State today, Ikenga is the last man standing.
Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko is the National Coordinator of the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) and a former Federal Commissioner at the National Human Rights Commission.