By Victor Nwegede, Abakaliki.
Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State on Saturday commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for what he described as a transparent and inclusive process in the conduct of the party’s House of Representatives primary elections in the state.
Nwifuru gave the commendation while addressing journalists at the APC State Secretariat in Abakaliki shortly after the distribution of sensitive electoral materials for the exercise across the APC Primaries: Nwifuru hails Tinubu, party leadership over transparent process
https://www.nationalpanelnews.com/2026/05/nwifuru-expresses-confidence-in.html local government areas of the state at the weekend.
https://www.nationalpanelnews.com/2026/05/nwifuru-expresses-confidence-in.html local government areas of the state at the weekend.
The governor said the leadership of the ruling party had demonstrated commitment to internal democracy through extensive consultations and engagements with stakeholders ahead of the primary election.
He specifically extolled President Tinubu, the APC National Chairman and members of the National Working Committee (NWC) for providing the necessary coordination and support that ensured the smooth commencement of the exercise.
According to him, the party leadership undertook broad-based consultations at the zonal and constituency levels to address concerns raised by stakeholders and avert internal disputes.
“We did a very noble consultation with our stakeholders. We had so many stakeholders’ meetings. Issues were sorted out at the zonal and constituency levels and what we are going to do today is to elect the candidates that will fly the flag of our party,” Nwifuru stated.
The governor expressed optimism that the exercise would produce credible candidates capable of strengthening the party’s dominance in Ebonyi State ahead of future electoral contests.
“I believe that, by the special grace of God, we will elect very credible candidates,” he added.
Nwifuru also dismissed speculations surrounding alleged plans for parallel primaries in some federal constituencies, particularly Afikpo/Edda Federal Constituency, insisting that the party recognised only one congress committee for the conduct of the election.
“We have only one congress committee. If people are contesting elections, what is normal is for them to come out to the field and test their popularity. That is democracy. There is no need for parallel congress and nobody is going to conduct parallel congress,” he said.
Reacting to reports of defections and resignations by some APC members in the state, the governor described such political movements as a normal feature of democratic practice.
“This is democracy and it is allowed. People are free to test their popularity elsewhere if they so wish,” he noted.
Earlier, Chairman of the National Electoral Committee for the APC House of Representatives primary election in Ebonyi State, Barrister Kennedy Ekong, disclosed that electoral materials had been dispatched to accredited ward centres across the state for the conduct of the direct primaries.
Ekong said members of the committee had also been assigned to monitor accreditation and voting processes in line with the party’s guidelines.
“We are releasing materials for them to take to the various ward centres. Each envelope contains materials for the wards in each local government area. We are also breaking ourselves into committees to monitor the exercise,” he explained.
On allegations of delay in the distribution of materials, Ekong clarified that the materials were supplied directly by the APC national secretariat.
“These are not materials produced here in the party. They were sent from the national secretariat,” he stated.
Also speaking, the Ebonyi State Chairman of the APC, Chief Stanley Okoro Emegha, dismissed claims that the member representing Afikpo/Edda Federal Constituency, Iduma Igariwey, had been disqualified from participating in the primary election.
Emegha maintained that Igariwey remained a valid aspirant in the contest, adding that his name had already been submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“He stands for this primary election. We have cleared him and submitted the names to INEC and INEC acknowledged the list,” he said.
The state APC chairman further expressed confidence in the peaceful conduct of the exercise, describing the party in Ebonyi as a united political family capable of resolving internal disagreements through dialogue and consultation.
