A former Coordinator of Effium Development Centre in Ohaukwu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, Hon. Sunday Agbo, has urged the people of Effium not to be misled by opposition elements ahead of the 2027 general elections, declaring support for the re-election of Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru.
Agbo spoke on Friday at Effium Village Square during an enlarged stakeholders’ meeting of the Indigenous people of Effium Autonomous Community, where the community unanimously endorsed Nwifuru as its sole preferred candidate for the 2027 Ebonyi governorship election.
He said the people’s support for the governor was anchored on what he described as the administration’s developmental strides and the restoration of peace between Effium and Ezza-Effium communities.
According to him, the people of the three indigenous wards of Effium should remain focused and resist attempts by opposition politicians to divide their ranks or mislead them ahead of the elections.
“Do not allow yourselves to be misled by opposition elements. Your support for Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru is a vote for the consolidation of democratic dividends and permanent peace in not our community but the entire Ebonyi State and our neighborhoods,” Agbo said.
He urged the people to assess the governor’s administration based on its achievements rather than political rhetoric, stressing that the restoration of peace in the area had created an atmosphere conducive to development and social activities.
The former coordinator was among political stakeholders, traditional and community leaders, youths, women and elders who participated in the meeting at which the endorsement of Nwifuru was moved and unanimously adopted.
The motion for the endorsement was moved by the Special Assistant to the Governor on Rural Development, Dr. Nicodemus Omenka, and seconded by the President of Effium Autonomous Community Town Union, Dr. James Agena.
Omenka commended Nwifuru for what he described as unprecedented infrastructural development, youth empowerment, scholarship programmes and the payment of pension and gratuity arrears to workers and retirees in the state right from 1996 till date.
He also identified the restoration of peace between Effium and Ezza-Effium as one of the major reasons for the community’s decision to support the governor for a second term.
“I deemed it fit to move a motion for the endorsement of the governor as the sole candidate for the 2027 governorship election in Ebonyi State because of his numerous achievements in the state,” Omenka said.
The endorsement was unanimously adopted by the three indigenous wards of Effium including the Effium Ward One, Wigbeke Ward One and Wigbeke Ward Three.
Speaking after the endorsement, Agena urged the people of Effium to support all candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the forthcoming elections, saying the governor had made significant contributions to healthcare, infrastructure and empowerment.
Also speaking, the former state lawmaker, Hon. Frank Nwaka Onwe warned against anti-party activities and appealed to the people to support APC candidates from the grassroots to the national level.
Onwe commended Nwifuru for his efforts toward sustaining peace between Effium and Ezza-Effium, saying the development had created a more stable environment for the people.
A legal practitioner, Barrister Sunday Egbe, urged APC supporters to promote an inclusive political system, saying persuasion, consultation and unity would be essential to the party’s success in the forthcoming elections.
Similarly, the Ohaukwu Local Government Area Vice Chairmanship candidate of th All Progressives Congress, APC, Mrs. Beatrice Idenyi, who spoke on behalf of women in the community, called on APC supporters in the three wards to sustain the governor’s peace initiatives and mobilise support for his re-election in 2027.
The meeting was attended by serving and former political office holders, including the Special Assistant to the Governor on Rural Development, Dr. Nicodemus Omenka; Hon. Frank Nwaka Onwe; Dr. James Agena; serving councillors representing the three indigenous wards; management committee members and supervisors; former Development Centre Coordinators, Hon. Agbo Sunday and Hon. Dele Ijoko; ward executives; youths led by the APC Youth Leader in Ohaukwu LGA, Hon. Agena Benjamin; women groups and elders.
The stakeholders said their endorsement was intended to recognise the governor’s performance and encourage the consolidation of his administration’s programmes beyond 2027.
