Ahead of 2027 general elections, a coalition of civil rights groups in Afikpo/Edda Federal Constituency of Ebonyi State has vowed to resist political campaigns in the area
unless electricity is restored to the area after about two decades of blackout.
The groups Afikpo Intelligentsia in the Diaspora , #RestoreAfikpoLight Campaigners Abroad, and Odinma Afikpo Group made their position known in a joint statement signed by Charles Otu, Olughu Franklin Nnamdi, and Collins Alum Eze,
issued in Abakaliki the state capital on Friday, insisting that all aspirants must address the lingering power crisis before seeking votes from the people.
The coalition was reacting to remarks attributed to member representing Afikpo/Edda Federal Constituency Idu Igariwey, in which he reportedly stated that the funding of constituency projects rests with the Federal Government and not lawmakers, while dismissing criticisms over the prolonged blackout as ignorance.
Leaders of the groups, argued that the lawmaker has constitutional and legislative tools to influence the restoration of electricity.
They noted that motions, oversight functions, and budgetary insertions are key instruments available to lawmakers. “For over 20 years, Afikpo has remained in darkness. This is unacceptable. Our representatives must move beyond explanations and take concrete legislative actions to resolve the issue,” the statement read.
The coalition recalled that in 2020, Igariwey summoned officials of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to a public hearing over the electricity situation but expressed concern that no meaningful follow-up has been recorded since then.
They further stated that the lawmaker, who has spent over a decade in the National Assembly, should have ensured the inclusion of critical projects such as the Amasiri-Afikpo transmission line in national budgets and pursued their implementation.
While acknowledging some constituency projects executed by the lawmaker, including roads, water schemes, and empowerment programmes, the groups insisted that these efforts do not address the most pressing need of the people steady electricity supply.
Meanwhile, efforts to reach the Lawmaker for comments was not successful at the time of this report.
