Ebonyi Speaker and APC Governorship Candidate, Chief Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru.
By James Nwakpa
The Coordinator of Onwa Offerekpe Foundation in Abakaliki Local Government Council, Mr. Paul Igwe Nwachukwu (a.k.a St. Paul) has conveyed his congratulatory message to the Speaker of Ebonyi State House of Assembly and APC governorship flag bearer in the forthcoming general elections in the state, Rt. Hon. Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, for choosing a female, Hon. Mrs. Patricia Obila, to be his running mate in the gubernatorial contest. 
In an interview with the press, Mr. Igwe Nwachukwu disclosed that Mr. Speaker who doubles as the Grand Patron of the foundation has made history in the politics of Ebonyi State, as it was the first time a guber candidate of a ruling party deemed it necessary to vie with a female folk.
According to the Coordinator of the foundation, the decision of Rt. Hon. Nwifuru has gone a long way to speak many volumes of his intention to run inclusive governance, where everybody will have equal opportunities to contribute their quota to the development of the society without gender discrimination, stressing that the move was the right direction toward the actualization of 35% affirmative action for women participation in the country's politics.
He was of the notion that women are good managers and home builders, and that in every successful man, there is always a woman behind him, and as such, other politicians and political parties both at the state and the federal levels should emulate Mr. Speaker in the choice of their running mates, to give room for Nigeria's democracy to thrive in line with international best practices.
Mr. Nwachukwu who encouraged everybody that is of voting age to go and obtain their PVCs also extended his congratulations to the newly nominated running mate, and wished her well in her political career, while praying for the emergence of the duo in the 2023 guber polls.
Recall that Hon. Mrs. Patricia Obila is the current Vice Chairman of Afikpo North Local Government Area.
