The Isoko people of Delta State have vowed to block political campaigns ahead of the 2027 general elections over prolonged electricity failure.
The Utagba-Ogbe Council of Chiefs and Elders in Kwale, Ndokwa West Local Government Area, has also banned all political campaigns in its communities over years of power neglect despite hosting a major electricity facility.
On Thursday, Isoko youths staged a peaceful protest in Oleh, headquarters of Isoko South Local Government Area.
They marched through surrounding communities carrying placards with inscriptions such as “Isoko Needs Light, No Light No Campaign.”
They accused politicians and influential persons of ignoring the region’s long-standing electricity crisis.
They demanded an end to the blackout affecting oil-producing communities and insisted on the completion of the Ozoro 132/33KV substation.
The protest spread across Isoko South and Isoko North, with participation from residents of Irri, Emede, Ozoro, Ellu, Ofagbe, Olomoro, Emevor and Iyede.2
Protesters said the electricity situation has crippled businesses, disrupted livelihoods and affected education in institutions within the area.
One of the protesters said, “We are the goose that lays the golden egg, yet we continue to suffer protracted electricity failure. Isoko is a major oil producer in Nigeria, but still suffering from electricity failure. Our protest is a peaceful one and our slogan ‘Isoko Need Light’, ‘No Light No Campaign,’ means that we shall not support politicians for the 2027 elections who do not address the power situation,” one of the protesters said.
He added, “Till date, nothing has been done about the completion of the controversial Ozoro 132/33 KVA Sub-Station by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) so that Isoko nation can get reliable, 24-hour electricity.”
Another protester identified as Oke said, “We insist in ‘Isoko Need Light’ and ‘No Light No Campaign’ in Isoko land until electricity is restored. Isoko Nation supports the constant light agitation. Let it be known that we, the good people of Isoko Nation, will not allow any form of political campaigns in the land.
“Enough is enough; as a people we have standing up for Isoko’s rights. Fellow Isoko people, we must unite and demand what is rightfully ours. For so many years now, we have been suffering from electricity crisis.
“The electricity crisis in Isoko is not abstract, it is visible in struggling businesses, disrupted livelihoods, and declining social well-being. Isoko needs electricity and development. Now we are conscious of ourselves, and we are saying no to ‘use and dump’.
“The era of politicians coming to Isoko only for party rallies, campaigns and friendship visits is over. Restore our electricity now or forget campaigns in Isoko land. No light, no campaign. We don’t need your two cups of rice again; we are tired and we need light. The Ozoro 132/33KVA substation project and the perpetual darkness in Isoko is more than meets the eyes.”
SaharaReporters gathered that some organisers and participants of the protest have allegedly been threatened with arrest by unidentified politicians and influential individuals.
Community members have vowed to resist any form of intimidation.
In Kwale, the Utagba-Ogbe Council of Chiefs and Elders said the ban on political campaigns followed prolonged neglect and failure to restore electricity despite hosting a major Independent Power Plant.
The elders said Kwale has been without electricity for over 16 years and lamented that power generated from the area is transmitted to other parts of the country, including the Federal Capital Territory, while host communities remain in darkness.
They described the situation as unjust and deeply frustrating, adding that the community has been excluded from the benefits of resources located within its domain.
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