The Ebonyi State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has challenged the basis and political attribution of a circulating claim that the state ranked second in Nigeria on the 2023 Human Development Index (HDI), demanding what it described as a forensic review and full disclosure of the underlying data, methodology and survey period.
The party said the controversy arose from a graphic attributed to StatiSense which placed Ebonyi second with an HDI score of 0.720, a claim the PDP said was being circulated alongside the image of Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru in a manner capable of creating the impression that the ranking was principally a product of his administration.
A StatiSense post currently available online indeed lists Ebonyi second with an HDI of 0.720 and attributes the compilation to Global Data Lab.
However, in a statement issued in Abakaliki and signed by its State Publicity Secretary and Spokesperson, Prince Darlington Peter Onwe, the opposition party argued that any attempt to directly credit a development indicator associated with 2023 to the Nwifuru administration required proper historical and statistical context.
Nwifuru assumed office as governor on May 29, 2023, succeeding David Umahi, who had governed the state until the end of his tenure.
The PDP said: “The public deserves a clear, sourced accounting of what the data actually shows, what it does not show, and where the claim itself needs scrutiny.”
It argued that the governor spent only about seven months in office during the calendar year under reference and maintained that human development indicators, by their nature, could reflect conditions and data accumulated over a period extending beyond a single administration or a few months of governance.
According to the party, “solely crediting this figure to the current administration on this brief timeline is politically disingenuous and statistically unsubstantiable.”
The PDP, therefore, called on StatiSense to publish what it described as the primary source, survey year and methodology used in arriving at the figures contained in the graphic.
Onwe said the party was not opposed to positive development indicators but insisted that public statistics should not be deployed for political credit without adequate explanation of their methodology and historical context.
“We are formally calling on StatiSense to publish the primary source, survey year and methodology behind the figures used in that graphic. Until that is done, the number should not be treated as settled fact without proper scrutiny and public reconciliation,” he said.
The opposition party further claimed that alternative compilations of subnational HDI data placed Ebonyi differently on the national ranking and said the discrepancy reinforced the need for an independent reconciliation of the figures.
Beyond the HDI controversy, the PDP launched a broader criticism of the Nwifuru administration's performance, citing revenue generation, primary healthcare infrastructure, waste management, flood preparedness and public education as areas requiring urgent public accountability..
The party said Ebonyi's Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) performance and other development indicators should be subjected to transparent public debate rather than, in its words, “glossy political propaganda.”
It also raised concerns over the condition of primary healthcare facilities, waste disposal challenges in Abakaliki metropolis and the state's preparedness for flooding.
The PDP recalled the devastating floods recorded in parts of Ebonyi in 2024 and called for a detailed public account of investments made in drainage, flood-control infrastructure, early-warning systems and other mitigation measures since the disaster.
The party also criticised the condition of public schools and the welfare of teachers, referring to previous reports of industrial disputes, dilapidated classrooms and concerns about learning facilities in some communities.
It said the government should address what it described as the “human reality behind the statistics” by ensuring improved school infrastructure and resolving outstanding issues affecting teachers and pupils.
The party particularly demanded the reinstatement of head teachers it said were suspended following the circulation of a video showing pupils learning in inadequate classroom conditions, while also calling for the settlement of any outstanding salary arrears and the publication of a clear timetable for rehabilitating dilapidated schools.
“We remain steadfastly committed to holding this administration accountable on the foundation of empirical facts, not orchestrated propaganda,” Onwe said.
The PDP urged Ebonyi residents to subject all competing political claims to independent verification and called for greater transparency in the use of development data.
Among its specific demands, the party asked for the full publication of the methodology and underlying data behind the disputed 2023 HDI ranking; a public acknowledgement of the multi-year nature of development indicators; and an open debate on the state's IGR, healthcare, education, environmental management and other development challenges.
It also demanded a public account of flood-mitigation and waste-management investments made in Abakaliki and other affected areas since the 2024 floods.
The latest controversy comes amid heightened political exchanges between the PDP and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ebonyi as activities build towards the 2027 general elections.
In recent weeks, the two parties have traded accusations over political activities and alleged intimidation, reflecting the increasingly charged political atmosphere in the state.
The PDP statement was copied to the governor's aide on new media, Leo Ekene Oketa; the Chief Press Secretary to the governor Dr Monday Uzor, the Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Ikeuwa Omebeh; and other relevant stakeholders.
However, the allegations and performance assessments contained in the PDP statement represent the position of the opposition party. A response from the Ebonyi State Government and StatiSense on the specific issues raised would be required to present their positions on the disputed HDI attribution and the wider allegations.
