Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
A coalition of public affairs analysts and Peoples Democratic Party chieftains has issued a firm demand for the replacement of Ebonyi State Governor Francis Nwifuru ahead of the 2027 governorship election, declaring that the state cannot afford another four years of what they describe as wasted leadership under the incumbent administration. The declaration came on Tuesday following a meeting in Ebonyi State, where stakeholders vowed that the people of the state should not hesitate to vote out the Nwifuru-led administration, citing insufficient presence of governance and lack of tangible development over the past three years. The opposition parties, led by the PDP, have positioned themselves as a viable alternative to replace the current government, with analysts arguing that governance is not a trial-and-error experiment but a serious responsibility that demands proven competence.
Public affairs analyst Paschal Oluchukwu has been at the forefront of the criticism, challenging the Ebonyi State Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Oguzor Nwali, who had earlier argued that Governor Nwifuru deserves re-election based on his administration's projects. Oluchukwu faulted the commissioner's claims and dared him to reel out detailed projects completed by the Nwifuru government, pointing instead to what he described as a litany of uncompleted and abandoned projects across the state despite increased allocations from the federation account in the last three years. According to Oluchukwu, the Vanco flyover and tunnel constructed by the governor have turned into a "large swimming pool" during the rainy season, while the ICT University in Oferekpe Agbaja has only partially completed staff quarters and a collection of uncompleted civil servant staff quarters and schools litter the state.
The analyst further accused the governor and his appointees of feeling entitled to a second term without any record of achievements, noting that the APC's "4+4=8" signpost projects have become the only visible sign that there is a government in Ebonyi State. In a separate statement, Oluchukwu accused Governor Nwifuru of using promises of a future power shift to the Ezza clan as a political strategy to secure support for his re-election bid in 2027, describing the governor's promise to rotate power to the Ezza-Ezekuna clan in 2031 as a mere political gimmick. He urged members of the Ezza community to remain cautious about political promises regarding succession, stressing that political power should be earned through democratic competition rather than assurances from incumbents.
The Association of Ebonyi Indigenes Socio-Cultural in the Diaspora has also intensified its criticism of the Nwifuru administration, declaring that the governor does not deserve a second term in office. The group challenged the commissioner to provide a detailed account of the Nwifuru administration's achievements across various sectors, arguing that the government has yet to convincingly demonstrate significant progress despite increased federal allocations to the state. AEISCID cited ongoing infrastructure projects, staff housing schemes, and educational facilities as areas where, in its view, greater progress should have been recorded, while also raising concerns about economic development, infrastructure expansion, and the utilisation of public facilities. The diaspora body further argued that public expectations of improved governance and development had not been fully met since Governor Nwifuru assumed office in 2023.
PDP chieftain in Ebonyi, Christopher Ngwuta, urged the people of Ezza Ezekuna not to be deceived by the promises of certain individuals that they will be given power in 2031, insisting that such promises cannot be made publicly because those making them do not want to be held accountable. He declared that only the PDP candidate, Chief Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii, popularly known as Anyichuks, has the capacity to give an Ezza man power. Former member of the Ebonyi Assembly, Ikechukwu Nwobo, alleged that the level of decay and misgovernance in Ebonyi has become so severe that people should no longer be concerned about zoning arrangements that had never truly existed, but should instead channel their efforts towards rescuing the state from bad governance. "Ebonyi people cannot survive another wasted four years if things continue the way they currently are in the state," he cautioned.
The PDP has also slammed Governor Nwifuru over his threat to "consume" the opposition in the state ahead of the 2027 gubernatorial contest, with the party's National Publicity Secretary stating that the Ebonyi governor is troubled by the prospect of his rejection by the electorate. The PDP argued that rather than making threats and chasing imaginary enemies, Governor Nwifuru should explain to Ebonyi people the undisclosed beneficiaries of the overseas scholarship programme, the poor state of basic education, the uncompleted two-kilometre road projects across local government areas, and the billions budgeted for traditional rulers' palaces with little or no visible results. The party insisted that the 2027 election will not be about propaganda, intimidation, or blackmail, but about performance, accountability, and the welfare of Ebonyi people.
However, the Nwifuru administration has found defenders who argue that the governor has recorded significant achievements worthy of a second term. Commissioner for Commerce and Business Development, Chief Oguzor Offia-Nwali, has dismissed the criticisms as misleading, false, and inconsistent with realities on the ground. He argued that in less than three years in office, Governor Nwifuru has demonstrated visionary leadership through the implementation of his administration's People's Charter of Needs agenda. The commissioner highlighted achievements in the education sector, including scholarships awarded to 1,000 students, with 300 studying in universities in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada, while 700 others were enrolled in Nigerian universities under government sponsorship. He further stated that the administration had rehabilitated and equipped all 13 general hospitals, lifted the embargo on employment, recruited over 2,000 teachers, employed medical personnel and judicial officers, and empowered thousands of youths and women through grants and empowerment programmes.
A loyalist to the Minister of Works, Engr Frank Ngwu, has also urged the people of Ezza North council area to support and vote for the second-term bid of Governor Nwifuru, commending him for his achievements, especially good governance and restoring peace in all parts of the state. The Ezza Ezekuna General Youth Assembly has adopted Governor Francis Nwifuru as its sole candidate for the 2027 governorship election, citing his leadership style, equity, justice, and fairness, and commending him for the remarkable development strides of his administration, particularly in road infrastructure, human capital development, youth empowerment, and social welfare programmes.
As the 2027 governorship election approaches, the battle lines are clearly drawn between those who believe Governor Nwifuru has performed well enough to deserve a second term and those who insist that Ebonyi State cannot afford another four years under his leadership. The debate over zoning, performance, and accountability is likely to intensify in the coming months, with the PDP's Ifeanyi Odii poised to challenge Nwifuru once again in what promises to be a fiercely contested election. For now, the voices calling for the governor's replacement have made their position unequivocally clear: Ebonyi cannot survive another wasted four years.
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