Reported by Ariajegbe Sylvia Esezobor
The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ebonyi State, Chief Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii, has dismissed claims that he has stepped down for Governor Francis Nwifuru, insisting that he remains in the race and will not withdraw for anyone ahead of the February 6, 2027 election. Odii, who spoke in his hometown of Isu in Onicha Local Government Area during a meeting with journalists, said he was determined to win the election and tackle hunger and poverty in the state.
Odii's denial followed a declaration by the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, who said he would personally meet the PDP candidate and ask him to step down for Governor Nwifuru of the All Progressives Congress. Umahi, a former governor of the state, argued that the governorship slot had not yet returned to Ebonyi South Senatorial District, which produced him as governor between 2015 and 2023. He said he would engage Odii at the appropriate time and stressed that the existing political arrangement in the state should be respected. Umahi described Odii as a fellow Ebonyian and said he would discuss the matter directly rather than allowing political differences to divide the people. He also maintained that it was not yet the turn of Ebonyi South to produce the governor, just as he has argued that it is not the turn of the South-East to produce the President.
Responding to the insinuation, Odii described Umahi's statement as political manoeuvring aimed at undermining democracy. "My party, the Peoples Democratic Party, gave me its mandate through consensus. That means they found me suitable, but there was a need for intervention. As such, I am contesting to be the governor of Ebonyi State because I have a lot to offer in government," he said. "On the issue of whether I would accept a request to step down, I am sure that is just political manoeuvring. I don't think we have to undermine democracy. I believe every man knows what the Constitution says, whether he is on the APC platform or the PDP platform, or whether he is my uncle". Odii said he respected the minister but had not been asked by him to step down and did not think he should be asked. "I am contesting, and I want to say that I am still in the race. I am not giving up".
The PDP candidate said his party gave him the ticket through consensus because the people of the state were yearning for good governance and he had a lot to offer. He said he was not worried about the election because he already had people who believed in him and was compassionate about how he wanted things to get better. "When I look at how things are happening in Ebonyi, I am saddened. We should be talking about certain things and the general interests of the people, the betterment of Ebonyi, not only for today but for tomorrow. Good governance is what we need. Everybody should be concerned about it. A hungry man does not know whether he is coming from the South or the North. When you are hungry, nobody needs to tell you that you are hungry. We are trying to bring a government that will say goodbye to hunger in Ebonyi State," he said.
Odii also dismissed reports suggesting he planned to abandon his ambition and support Governor Nwifuru. In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Emmanuel Igwe, he said he would never, under any circumstances, step down from the 2027 governorship contest, adding that any publication suggesting otherwise was false and did not represent his position. The spokesperson said journalists and bloggers should exercise the highest level of professionalism when reporting political developments, noting that there was a fundamental difference between reporting that a politician intended to persuade Chief Odii to withdraw and reporting that Chief Odii had agreed to withdraw. "The first is an expression of another person's intention. The second is a claim about Chief Odii's decision and requires evidence," Igwe said. He called on the publishers of the story to retract or prominently correct the publication within 24 hours unless they could produce an authentic statement from Odii establishing that he had decided to withdraw.
The dispute has also drawn attention to the principle of zoning in Ebonyi politics. Umahi has argued that the governorship slot has not returned to Ebonyi South, which produced him as governor for eight years, and that it should not produce another governor so soon. Odii's camp, however, has maintained that while zoning promotes inclusiveness, it should be discarded when there is a need for a rescue mission. The spokesperson said Odii would serve one term with the main aim of rescuing the state from its present unpleasant situation and then hand over.
The political context of the dispute is significant. The 2027 general elections are less than four months away, with the governorship and state assembly elections scheduled for February 6. Governor Nwifuru is expected to seek a second term on the APC platform, while Odii is set to challenge the incumbent on the PDP platform. Umahi has intensified mobilisation for Nwifuru and the APC ahead of the elections, recently declaring that the PDP would not return to power in Ebonyi and calling on residents to support the governor's re-election. The PDP candidate, for his part, has said his campaign is already reaching out to the people through door-to-door mobilisation and social media, where he commands close to three million followers across platforms. "Anytime our campaign flag-off is announced, you will see what happens," he said. Odii also pledged to expand access to medical education, improve professional competence and develop a sustainable pipeline of skilled personnel for the state's health system.
For the people of Ebonyi State, the dispute between Odii and Umahi reflects the broader political realignments and contestations shaping the 2027 elections. For the PDP, the candidate's insistence that he remains in the race is a signal that the party intends to mount a credible challenge to the ruling APC in the state. For the APC, Umahi's determination to persuade Odii to step down is part of a broader strategy to consolidate the ruling party's hold on the state. The coming weeks will determine whether the PDP candidate can withstand the pressure to withdraw and whether the governorship contest in Ebonyi remains a competitive race or becomes a one-horse race. As Odii put it, he is still in the race, he is not giving up, and every person who is voting in Ebonyi State matters.
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