A youth association in Amurri, Nkanu West Local Government Area of Enugu State, has warned that dissatisfaction with the constituency performance of Senator Kelvin Chukwu could affect the electoral fortunes of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the community ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The Progressive Amurri Obodo Asato Ukwu Youth Association accused the senator, who represents Enugu East Senatorial District, of failing to address critical infrastructure deficits, provide adequate youth empowerment opportunities and deliver development interventions capable of improving living conditions in his home community.
The group, however, faces a strong rebuttal from the senator's office, which has dismissed the allegations as politically motivated and listed several projects it says Chukwu has attracted to Amurri and other communities across the senatorial district.
The association's leader, Mr Splendid-James Okafor, made the allegations in an interview in Enugu, describing the organisation as an independent and apolitical platform comprising youths across political affiliations and the four autonomous communities in Amurri.
Okafor said residents were disappointed that Chukwu, despite being an indigene of the community, had yet to deliver what the association considered meaningful and sustainable development.
He identified poor road infrastructure, deteriorating school facilities, the absence of a functional town hall and inadequate youth-focused interventions as some of the community's major concerns.
He particularly criticised the condition of roads linking Amurri, alleging that their deplorable state had continued to restrict movement, economic activities and access to important community events.
Citing the recent Oriri-Ani Amurri Festival, he questioned how a community represented by a serving senator could have roads so inaccessible that journalists reportedly struggled to cover the event.
"How will you assess a senator whose community roads are in such a terrible condition that even journalists could not access the community to cover Oriri-Ani Amurri Festival three days ago?" he asked.
He added that residents of Amankanu Autonomous Community had been compelled to take a longer route through Obe because the usual road linking the community to Amurri was impassable.
The youth leader also raised concerns about the condition of the community secondary school, alleging that some classrooms lacked windows and doors, while the principal's office had an exposed roof.
He said the absence of a functional town hall had equally deprived residents of the four autonomous communities of a suitable public facility for meetings, consultations and collective decision-making.
On youth development, Okafor alleged that no indigene of Amurri was benefiting from a scholarship programme reportedly sponsored by the senator.
He also questioned the impact of an alleged N2 million contribution towards a football competition, arguing that such support could not substitute for structured and sustainable youth empowerment programmes.
He, however, acknowledged the provision of a transformer to the Amankanu area, describing it as one of the few visible interventions attributed to the senator in the community.
Responding to suggestions that the primary responsibility of lawmakers was legislation rather than direct project execution, Okafor cited the constituency interventions of Nnolim Nnaji, representing Nkanu East/Nkanu West Federal Constituency, and Chimaobi Atu, representing Enugu North/Enugu South Federal Constituency, as examples of what he considered effective representation.
He maintained that elected representatives should use their offices to attract development opportunities and interventions capable of addressing the needs of their constituents.
Okafor said the association was established to provide an independent platform for young people to demand accountability from elected officials, irrespective of their political affiliations.
He also distanced the group from another youth organisation allegedly associated with the senator, insisting that his association was incorporated to promote independent youth representation.
The youth leader appealed to Governor Peter Mbah to intervene by encouraging Chukwu to undertake a major development project that would benefit the entire Amurri community.
He urged the senator to prioritise his home community, warning that political offices were not permanent and that elected officials must remain accountable to the people they represent.
Okafor further alleged that some individuals attempted to disrupt a recent meeting of the association and claimed that he subsequently received a threatening telephone call from the President-General of Amurri.
He appealed to the state government and security agencies to ensure his safety, maintaining that his activities were motivated by the development interests of the community rather than partisan politics.
However, the senator's Chief of Staff, Mr Victor Eneh, rejected the allegations, describing them as false and politically motivated attempts to discredit Chukwu ahead of the next general elections.
Eneh also challenged Okafor's claim to leadership of the association, alleging that he was not recognised as a youth leader in Amurri.
"Splendid-James Okafor is an impersonator, as there is no recognised youth leader in Amurri by that name," he said.
The Chief of Staff maintained that Chukwu had attracted projects to all 77 political wards in Enugu East Senatorial District despite the financial and institutional constraints confronting first-term lawmakers.
On the controversial Amurri road, Eneh said the senator facilitated its inclusion in the 2024 Federal Government budget, adding that the approximately 7.7-kilometre project had been awarded to a contractor.
"The Amurri road, which is about 7.7 kilometres, was captured in the 2024 federal budget through the senator's efforts and awarded to a contractor," he said.
He explained that the first phase was executed in 2024, but subsequent phases had been delayed because the Federal Government had yet to release the necessary funds.
Eneh argued that senators could not independently execute capital projects without the relevant budgetary provisions and the release of funds by government agencies responsible for implementation.
He further disclosed that Chukwu had approached the Enugu State Government for assistance with the road rehabilitation, adding that the state Commissioner for Works had indicated the government's willingness to intervene.
The Chief of Staff also said another road linking Obe and Amurri had benefited from the senator's intervention, with its first phase completed while subsequent phases awaited funding.
On other interventions, Eneh said Chukwu had attracted a borehole project to Amurri, with the contractor directed to commence work.
He added that medical equipment valued at more than N50 million had been supplied to the community's health centre to strengthen healthcare delivery.
Eneh also cited the donation of a transformer to Amankanu, one of the four autonomous communities in Amurri, following what he described as a prolonged period without electricity.