BY EDITOR
Ahead of the 2027 general elections, the IYKON Global Foundation for Child, Youth Care and Human Rights Defence has said it will unveil what it described as evidence-based findings on the performances and achievements of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru.
The founder and President of the foundation, Ambassador Ephraim Ikechukwu Nwonu, disclosed this during a press briefing in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, at the weekend.
Nwonu said the organisation had selected Ebonyi as its pilot state for the South-East zone following an extensive assessment of government projects, policies, appointments and other interventions credited to the Tinubu administration at the federal level and the Nwifuru administration in the state.
He said the findings, which would be presented during a two-day workshop scheduled for September 7 and 8, 2026, in Abakaliki, were intended to provide citizens with verifiable information to enable them make informed decisions ahead of the 2027 elections.
According to him, the foundation had been undertaking advocacy, humanitarian and governance-related interventions since its establishment in 2009, stressing that it had collaborated with institutions including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission and other organised bodies on anti-corruption, transparency, security and good governance initiatives.
“We are non-partisan. Our responsibility is to ensure that we have good governance in place, which we know will rub off positively on the citizenry,” Nwonu said.
He explained that the foundation had spent considerable time gathering information across Ebonyi State, including visiting the state's 13 local government areas, in an effort to obtain what he described as first-hand data on projects and programmes implemented by the state government.
“We have gone around the whole local government to be sure that we have data, first-hand information, of all the things the Ebonyi State Government has done,” he said.
Nwonu said the foundation would similarly present its assessment of the Federal Government's interventions in the South-East, including infrastructure projects and federal appointments.
He maintained that the exercise was not designed as a partisan campaign but as an attempt to place available evidence before citizens.
“We have our facts and figures,” he said, adding that the information would, in his view, help dispel what he described as misinformation and misconceptions concerning the performance of the Tinubu administration.
The foundation's position comes against the backdrop of growing political mobilisation ahead of the 2027 elections, with supporters of both Tinubu and Nwifuru increasingly highlighting infrastructure and governance achievements as part of their campaign narratives.
Responding to a question on whether the Tinubu administration had addressed longstanding complaints of marginalisation in the South-East, Nwonu said the foundation's assessment had captured projects and appointments by the Federal Government in the region.
He specifically referenced road infrastructure and federal appointments, saying the foundation had documented the figures and would make them public during the workshop.
“We have really taken notes, we have surveyed, and of course, we have documented all the activities, or achievements rather, of Mr President,” he said.
On concerns over poverty, inflation and economic hardship confronting Nigerians, Nwonu acknowledged the difficulties but argued that the administration had introduced interventions, particularly in agriculture, which he said should be assessed alongside the prevailing economic challenges.
“Our youths, for instance, on agriculture, Mr President has done fantastically well. Our youths have been encouraged severely by a whole lot of incentives in that sector to prioritise agriculture,” he said.
Nwonu, however, rejected the suggestion that his organisation's assessment of the administration's achievements amounted to political endorsement, noting that individuals remained entitled to their political preferences.
He said while the foundation remained non-partisan, its members, like every other Nigerian, had the constitutional right to make their choices during elections.
Asked why Ebonyi was chosen as the pilot state for the South-East, the foundation's president said the decision followed reports of developmental activities under the Nwifuru administration which the organisation wanted to independently verify.
“We have been hearing a lot about how nice this governor is and everything. And we didn't just want to conclude. That's why we said, okay, let us come here and survey to see all those things we've been hearing that this governor has done,” he said.
He said the workshop would bring together experts, professionals and resource persons who would examine various thematic areas of governance and development.
Nwonu said the ultimate objective was to provide citizens with sufficient information to assess the records of the various administrations and make informed electoral choices in 2027.
The foundation's exercise is coming as Nwifuru's administration continues to receive commendations over ongoing infrastructure projects across Ebonyi, while the governor has also publicly expressed support for Tinubu's policies and leadership.
Nwonu said the organisation would continue to operate as a watchdog for good governance, insisting that its advocacy activities would remain focused on accountability, transparency, human rights and improved public administration.
