OCHOUDO MANDATE GROUP: AGBASO HOSTS OMG IN EMEKUKU, DECLARES: “OBI’S PRESIDENTIAL VICTORY IS MY PROJECT”
– “IMO WILL BECOME A HOMELAND UNDER MY ADMINISTRATION AS GOVERNOR.”
E-ISSN: 2354-4481
By Morrison Amankwo
Former Senator representing Owerri Zone and Founder and Leader of OCHOUDO Mandate Group (OMG), His Excellency, Chief Martin Agbaso (OCHOUDO), has reaffirmed his commitment to the political ambition of Peter Gregory Obi in the 2027 presidential election, declaring that ensuring Obi’s victory is a major project of the group.
Agbaso also declared that Imo State would become a homeland for all under his administration as governor, promising to pursue inclusive development, economic growth, affordable education, job creation, improved healthcare and an investment-friendly environment.
He made these declarations during a strategic interactive meeting with the Local Government Area (LGA) Captains and state officers of OCHOUDO Mandate Group at his country home in Emekuku on Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
The meeting was attended by the State Coordinator of OMG, Mr. Lambert Iwueke; State Secretary, Onyechere Onyebuchi; State Woman Leader, Hon. (Mrs.) Florence Asonye; State Publicity Secretary, Ayozie Uchechukwu Ronald; State Party Secretary, Chief Stan Ukagu; PG of all PGs in Urratta Clan, Chief Tony Anyadike; Hon. Odinaka Emejuru, Orlu Zonal Captain; Chief G.O.C. Kekeocha, Okigwe Zonal Captain; Dr. Ezechi Nwanekpe, Owerri Zonal Captain; Lolo Edith Aturuocha, Assistant State Woman Leader; and Speedwell. All 27 LGA Captains and other state officers were also present.
Speaking at the meeting, Agbaso, who is the National Imo State Campaign Director of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), thanked the people of Imo State for believing in him and supporting his political vision over the years.
He recalled his first outing in the Imo State governorship race in 2007 under the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), an election he claimed he was widely believed to have won but was allegedly rigged in favour of the powers that be.
The former senator commended the leadership of OMG, led by Mr. Lambert Iwueke, the zonal coordinators, other members of his team and the 27 LGA Captains for their commitment to strengthening democracy and mobilising support for his governorship ambition in 2027.
Agbaso expressed concern over what he described as the developmental backwardness of Imo State, particularly when compared with its abundant material and human resources.
He, however, promised that his administration would make the state work for everyone and transform it into a peaceful and liveable homeland for people who come to do business, work, study or engage in tourism.
"My dreams are to keep a legacy and establish an Imo State that works for all. I am single-minded about development, and my honest desire is to build a homeland," he said.
On his development agenda, Agbaso said Imo State would become economically viable and attractive to investors and other stakeholders in the economic sector.
He promised to make education attractive and affordable, ensure that every kobo belonging to the state was judiciously utilised for the development of the people, create employment opportunities through industrialisation, improve healthcare delivery and provide young people with opportunities to realise their ambitions within the state without having to travel elsewhere in search of a better future.
Addressing the issue of membership registration, Agbaso charged the 27 LGA Captains to take responsibility for expanding and strengthening the group's membership base across the state.
He explained that the registration exercise was strategically important because politics was local and electoral success could not be achieved through shortcuts.
"By His grace, God has been very kind to me. My vision for Imo State is to leave it better than I met it and to be a prayer answered to the young people of today and tomorrow," he said.
He further disclosed that he was the Chief Executive Officer of seven companies operating across different parts of the world, adding that his professional career had been built on honesty and integrity.
"I am the CEO of seven companies and have done well during my professional career without any spots because I believe in honest wealth, owing to my background. The records are there," Agbaso stated.
He urged the LGA Captains to drive the registration process across their respective communities, wards and polling units, stressing the need for the group to have a verifiable membership base and remain accountable to its members.
According to him, the 2027 elections would be determined by actual voters rather than fictitious membership figures.
"The 2027 elections will be won by people, not ghosts, so we need them. Do your best to get them registered in all the wards and polling units. I want to go into the elections and win it, and by the grace of God, we shall win come 2027 and build an Imo State that works for all," he said.
On the national political landscape, Agbaso called for a change in the country's leadership direction, warning that Nigeria needed to be rescued from what he described as an undesirable governance trend.
"Everyone here knows the time we are into. If Nigeria is not retrieved now from the jaws of this ugly governance trend, it means there is no hope for tomorrow," he declared.
He disclosed that the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) would be contesting the 2027 presidential election with His Excellency, Peter Gregory Obi, as its presidential candidate and His Excellency, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, as his running mate.
Agbaso described Obi and Kwankwaso as competent, visionary and capable leaders who could redirect the country's development trajectory, restore good governance and rebuild national unity and public confidence.
He consequently charged all OMG members to make Obi and Kwankwaso's electoral victory their primary national assignment, urging the LGA Captains to work closely with party leaders in their respective wards to protect and deliver their votes.
"Whatever we are doing here in OMG, our primary assignment is to ensure that we deliver Peter Obi and Musa Kwankwaso come January 16, 2027. All the LGA Captains must work with the leaders of the party in their various wards to ensure that our votes do not miss. Our votes count, and we must get Peter elected," he said.
He thanked the members for their commitment to his political vision and the collective aspiration of building an Imo State and Nigeria that would work for everyone.
In his remarks, the Owerri Zonal Captain of OMG, Dr. Ezechi Nwanekpe, acknowledged Agbaso's contributions and leadership investments in Imo State and Nigeria, pledging to mobilise the people of Owerri Zone towards achieving the group's political objectives.
Similarly, the State Woman Leader, Hon. (Mrs.) Florence Asonye, popularly known as the "Iron Lady", pledged to mobilise women across Imo State for the electoral victories of Peter Obi and Chief Martin Agbaso in 2027.
She maintained that Imo women were prepared to support and vote for leaders who demonstrated genuine commitment to development and the welfare of families.
"Imo State women are ready to support and vote Obi and OCHOUDO because they are good leaders with hearts for development and families," she stated.
Also speaking, the Oguta LGA Captain, Hon. John Mbonu Uchenwoke-Ekperechi, said Agbaso had a date with history, recalling the controversy surrounding the 2007 governorship election and his determination to continue pursuing his development vision.
He noted that Agbaso's survival and continued political engagement after the events of 2007 represented an opportunity to advance his long-standing commitment to human capacity development and good governance.
"God who has kept you alive after the shock of 2007 has a reason. It means that the mandate is real, and 2027 is the time that cannot be denied," he said.
Uchenwoke-Ekperechi, an indigene of Agwa, also emphasised the importance of peace and security to the development of Imo State.
He argued that the state needed a leader who understood the relationship between peace, security, investment, development studies and rural transformation.
The interactive meeting provided an opportunity for participants to deliberate on the group's progress, operational challenges and strategies for strengthening its structures ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Discussions also focused on mobilising support for Peter Gregory Obi's presidential ambition, advancing Chief Martin Agbaso's governorship aspiration in the subsequent Imo State governorship election after the 2027 general elections, and consolidating the organisational structures of OCHOUDO Mandate Group across the 27 local government areas.
The meeting ended with renewed commitments from the state officers, zonal coordinators and all 27 LGA Captains to intensify grassroots mobilisation, membership registration and political engagement in pursuit of the group's vision of an Imo State that works for all.
