Frontline National Democratic Congress (NDC) House of Representatives aspirant, Engr. Obi Njoku, has issued a forceful challenge to fellow contenders in the Abuja primary election, demanding a complete break from what he described as “politics-as-usual” and urging a return to people-centred representation.
Speaking ahead of the primary, Njoku said Nigeria’s legislative space has drifted dangerously away from the citizens it was created to serve, warning that lawmakers are increasingly absorbed in internal party battles, political negotiations, and resource control while the country’s core problems continue to deepen.
He questioned the relevance of current parliamentary priorities, arguing that the lived realities of Nigerians are no longer reflected in the business of the National Assembly.
“I had hoped to see bills that will directly impact the social and economic status of the ordinary citizen.”
Instead, he said legislative attention has been dominated by election permutations and elite bargaining.
“Instead, what I see mostly is election matters and resource allocation matters. At what point can we draw a straight line from the people being represented to the decisions of the House of Representatives?”
Njoku said the widening gap between lawmakers and citizens is evident in the neglect of critical national challenges, including the rising number of out-of-school children, collapsing primary healthcare systems, weak support for local industries, and worsening insecurity in farming communities.
He argued that representation has been reduced to political performance rather than practical problem-solving.
According to him, true leadership requires direct engagement with citizens at the grassroots, not filtered conversations through political structures or godfather networks.
“This is exactly why legislators are disconnected from the masses.”
He continued:
“We need to go to the streets, the villages, the farms, and the local communities. We must talk to ordinary people—those without access to government patronage—and ask them directly: ‘What do you really want me to do for you?’”
Njoku warned that legislative office must not be treated as political reward or personal entitlement, insisting that public trust is earned only through visible impact on people’s lives.
He said:
“Until this is done, we are just wasting our time in that House, representing our bellies and political godfathers.”
He concluded with a blunt charge to aspirants across party lines:
“True representation must begin and end with the explicit needs of the ordinary citizen.”
