By Emmanuel Agbo, Abakaliki.
Women under the Izzi Women Association, with membership drawn from Abakaliki, Ebonyi and Izzi Local Government Areas of Ebonyi State, have reaffirmed their support for the re-election bid of Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
The women made their position known while celebrating the 2026 Ojiji Izzi New Yam Festival with the Ebonyi State First Family at the Governor’s Lodge, Centenary City, Abakaliki.
The event brought together more than 1,000 women, who also used the occasion to commend the Nwifuru administration for what they described as its emphasis on women’s inclusion, empowerment and participation in governance.
Speaking at the gathering, Chairman of the association and member representing Ebonyi North-East Constituency in the State House of Assembly, Hon. Chinyere Nwogbaga, said the women were at the Governor’s Lodge to celebrate the cultural festival with the First Family and appreciate the governor and his wife for their support for women.
Nwogbaga particularly cited the appointment of one of their members, Hon. Helen Aduga, as Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), among other appointments involving women in the state.
She also commended Nwifuru for what she described as extensive human-capital and infrastructural development, arguing that his administration deserved continuity.
The lawmaker said, “We are here to celebrate Ojiji Izzi with our First Family and to appreciate our governor and his dear wife for their leadership and commitment to women inclusion and welfare.”
Nwogbaga further urged the women to support the governor’s re-election bid, saying they had resolved to mobilise their votes for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 elections.
She also praised the governor’s wife, Chief (Mrs) Mary-Maudline Uzoamaka Nwifuru, for what she described as her commitment to women’s empowerment and advocacy for their inclusion in government.
Speaking on behalf of Abakaliki women, the Chairman of the Ebonyi State Civil Service Commission, Lady Virginia Oketa, and former parliamentarian, Hon. Franca Okpo, commended the administration for various interventions, including housing support for indigent women and traditional rulers.
They also cited the payment of outstanding pensions and gratuities to retired civil servants, employment opportunities and empowerment programmes as areas in which they said the administration had impacted residents.
For Ebonyi Local Government Area, the Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board, Hon. Patience Ogodo, described the women’s support for Nwifuru’s re-election as settled, while pledging their commitment to the APC during the 2027 elections.
Mrs Ikechukwu Nwankwo, wife of a former Speaker of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly, also commended the First Lady for supporting women’s participation in governance and cited various appointments and social interventions as evidence of the administration’s attention to women.
In their separate remarks, the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Barr. Felicia Nwamkpuma, and Prof. Adeline Idike commended the governor for approving the appointment of more than 1,000 women as executive assistants.
They urged the women to remain united and participate actively in the political process ahead of the 2027 elections.
Responding, the Ebonyi State First Lady, Chief (Mrs) Mary-Maudline Uzoamaka Nwifuru, thanked the women for what she described as their sustained support and solidarity since the inception of the administration.
She assured them that the administration would continue to prioritise women’s participation and inclusion in governance.
Mrs Nwifuru also urged the women to support her husband’s re-election bid, expressing confidence in their continued partnership with the administration.
Representing Governor Nwifuru, the Chief of Staff, Prof. Emmanuel Echiegu, described women as a blessing to humanity and commended them for celebrating the Ojiji festival with the First Family.
He conveyed the governor’s appreciation to the women and urged them to support APC candidates across elective positions in the 2027 elections.
The celebration comes against the backdrop of the wider 2026 Ojiji Izhi New Yam Festival, which has also served as a platform for cultural renewal, communal unity and discussions around the preservation of Izzi heritage.
At the grand finale in Amagu, Nwifuru called on his kinsmen to preserve ancestral lands and traditional values while cautioning against political divisions within the clan.
The gathering at the Governor’s Lodge ended with solidarity songs and cultural celebrations by the women, who reaffirmed their commitment to the preservation of the Ojiji tradition.
