The leadership of Students’ Union Governments (SUGs) across tertiary institutions in Ebonyi State and the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Ebonyi State Axis, has disowned a purported endorsement of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Chief Chukwuma Ifeanyi Odii, ahead of the 2027 election, reaffirming support for Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru’s re-election bid.
The student leaders said the purported endorsement did not represent the collective position of recognised student representatives, insisting that no individual or group had the authority to speak for the entire student community without an established mandate.
They also cited equity, political inclusion and the need to sustain educational initiatives introduced by the Nwifuru administration as reasons for reaffirming their support for the incumbent governor.
The position was contained in a communiqué issued on Monday, October 12, 2026, by the collective leadership of SUGs in the state and the NANS Ebonyi State Axis.
The communiqué was electronically signed by NANS Senate President, Comrade Ibeabuchi Moses Onyia; Chairman of the Ebonyi NANS Stakeholders’ Forum, Comrade Okoro Offor Joshua; Deputy Majority Leader of the Nigerian Youth Parliament, Dr Olisa Alfred Nwuruku; and SUG presidents of several tertiary institutions in the state.
The student leaders said they had received reports alleging plans by certain individuals to mobilise students for Odii’s endorsement but maintained that the political preferences of individuals or groups must not be presented as the collective decision of Ebonyi students.
“Accordingly, we reject and disown any purported endorsement presented as the collective position of Ebonyi State students where no such endorsement has been duly authorised by the relevant representatives,” the communiqué stated.
The statement added that the authority to communicate a collective resolution must derive from a recognised mandate and a legitimate decision-making process.
The student leaders also called for respect for the longstanding political understanding concerning the rotation of the governorship among Ebonyi North, Ebonyi Central and Ebonyi South Senatorial Districts.
While acknowledging that zoning and rotation were political understandings rather than express constitutional requirements, they argued that such arrangements remained important to equity, inclusion and peaceful coexistence among the state's constituent zones.
“The principle of equity requires more than the formal recognition of the three senatorial zones. It requires a continuing willingness to respect legitimate expectations, encourage peaceful transitions and avoid political practices that could deepen feelings of exclusion or undermine public confidence in the State’s political arrangements,” the communiqué stated.
They urged political stakeholders to approach the zoning question responsibly, warning against practices that could undermine mutual confidence and political stability in the state.
On education, the student leaders commended the Nwifuru administration for what they described as interventions in postgraduate scholarships, bursary assistance, institutional funding, staff welfare, graduate employment and infrastructure development.
They cited the reported sponsorship of 300 Ebonyi graduates for postgraduate studies in universities in the United Kingdom and more than 700 beneficiaries enrolled in postgraduate programmes in Nigerian universities.
The communiqué also highlighted increased subventions to Ebonyi State University (EBSU), including the reported release of ₦700 million in outstanding funding and an increase in its monthly subvention from ₦150 million to ₦280 million.
Other measures cited included salary increases for academic and non-academic staff, a 10 per cent reduction in tuition fees, approval for payment of fees in instalments and scholarship opportunities for outstanding graduates.
The student leaders further referenced the government's declaration of automatic employment for Ebonyi graduates who attain First Class honours, alongside projects aimed at improving infrastructure and learning conditions in state-owned tertiary institutions.
They said the sustainability of the initiatives was a legitimate concern for students, arguing that continuity would enable the programmes to be consolidated and expanded.
“Accordingly, we express our support for the continuation of his leadership to enable these programmes to be sustained, strengthened and expanded for the enduring benefit of Ebonyi students,” the communiqué stated.
Consequently, the student representatives passed a vote of confidence in Nwifuru, citing the administration’s educational interventions, and reaffirmed their previously adopted position endorsing him as their preferred candidate for the 2027 governorship election.
They also pledged to mobilise support for the governor at the polls and defend their political choice through the electoral process.
The development came amid competing political endorsements and intensifying consultations ahead of the 2027 governorship election in Ebonyi State.
However, the communiqué represents the position of the signatories and does not, by itself, establish the political preference of every student in the state.
Odii's position on the specific allegation of unauthorised mobilisation was not contained in the communiqué.
