BY Victor Nwegede, Abakaliki
Three leading governorship candidates of different opposition parties in Ebonyi have dropped their ambition and adopted their counterpart of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru as their consensus candidate for the Saturday 11th March poll in the state.
The Ebonyi gubernatorial candidates of the opposition parties who adopted Nwifuru as their sole candidate included Engineer Chukwuma Nwandugo of the Action Alliance (AA), Architect Edward Nkwegu of the Labour Party (LP) and Prophet Chris Adol Awam of the New Nigeria People's Party, NNPP.
Also, the four-term serving member of the House of Representatives and Chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Sylvester Ogbaga and Senator Sylvanus Nguji Ngene, who was representing Ebonyi North District in the National Assembly, alongside their teeming supporters have endorsed Nwifuru as their sole candidate on the grounds of equity, fairness and social justice in the forthcoming governorship election in Ebonyi State.
The members of the Izzi Nnodo Youth Forum in Ebonyi State disclosed this in a communique on Wednesday after their emergency meeting at Pa Ngele Oruta Township Stadium, Abakaliki.
The Izzi youths according to their National President, Comrade Ben Nwovu, commended the bold step of the three gubernatorial candidates and the two PDP chieftains for having thrown their weight behind equity, and their massive love for Izhi clan extraction in her agenda to accomplish victory in the 11th March governorship election in Ebonyi State.
The forum thanked the leadership of the apex socio-cultural organisation of the Izzi clan popularly known as Oha Izhi Nnodo Ekumaenyi and all Ebonyi state citizens for their massive support of the Ebonyi APC gubernatorial candidate, Chief Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, on the grounds of equity and his track records in the leadership of the state.
He said: "We also commended the leaders and members of the Oha Izhi Nnodo for adopting the candidature of Chief Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru under the platform of the All Progressives Congress as their sole candidate come March 11 governorship election in Ebonyi State.
"In the same vein, our gratitude goes to Architect Dr Edward Nkwegu, Senator Sylvanus Nguji Ngene, Rt Honourable Sylvester Ogbaga, Prophet Dr Chris Adol Awam, Engineer Chukwuma Nwandugo, other illustrious sons and daughters of Izzi land who had collapsed their structures to the Chief Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru in a bid to accomplish the noble project of Izhi Nation and Ebonyi State at large on Saturday 11th March 2023, the gubernatorial election day," Nwovu said.
The Izzi Youth National President however, said, his members are mindful of the antics of some alleged political spoilers moving around to tamper with the existing peace and unity among Izhi people towards accomplishing the Izzi agenda through the support of the citizens of the state and warned such individuals to desist from the ugly act.
"We are not unmindful about the antics of other Izzi sons and daughters who have allowed their names to be used by misleading agents to deceive the masses when they know these people are neither candidates nor contestants of any political party.
"We call on him to unequivocally denounce any person or groups using his names for mischievous agenda ahead of the 11th March gubernatorial poll in Ebonyi State.
"We could remember vividly that just the last National Assembly election, our brother, Barrister Anselm Enigwe went about deceiving the people of Ebonyi North Senatorial District when he knew well that he was not the Labour Party candidate.
"We could recall that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) while announcing the result, disclosed that one Vincent Ejiofor Chukwu was the Senatorial candidate for Ebonyi North Zone. "
Nwovu said that the youth forum had seriously frowned at the such deceptive sentiment, just because of politics, and warned against further recurrence in Izhi land.
He also recalled that "the former President of Akubaraoha Youth Assembly, Mark Onu has been going around making unguided and provocative utterances against the good people of Izzi Nation and gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Ebonyi State, Chief Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru after being bought over by the opposition group to tarnish the existing love between him and the Izzi people for many years now.
"We call on him (Mark Onu) to use his tongue and count his teeth and to remove the and of monkey from the soup before it forms human hand," the Forum added.
The Izzi youths also extended their gratitude to the State Governor, Engineer David Nweze Umahi for his unwavering love and support for their people especially in throwing his weight behind the Izzi clan to produce his successor come 11th March polls; saying that the gesture would be celebrated in mega style by not only this generation but the generations unborn.
Meanwhile, efforts to get responses from some of those who endorsed Nwifuru were not successful when this report was filled.
