A former House of Representatives candidate for Ebonyi/Ohaukwu Federal Constituency, Godwin Aliuna, has said the political prospects of the Ezza people producing the governor of Ebonyi State in 2031 depend largely on the re-election of Governor Francis Nwifuru in the 2027 governorship election.
Aliuna, who contested the federal constituency election on the platform of the Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA), made the assertion in a statement issued to journalists in Abakaliki, urging members of the Ezza clan and other stakeholders to support what he described as the existing rotational arrangement in the state.
He argued that allowing Nwifuru, who is from Ebonyi North Senatorial District, to complete two terms would, in his view, preserve the political sequence under which the three senatorial zones have successively produced governors.
Official records of the Ebonyi State Government show that Sam Egwu governed the state from 1999 to 2007, followed by Martin Elechi from 2007 to 2015 and Dave Umahi from 2015 to 2023. Nwifuru assumed office in May 2023.
Aliuna said: “Now, it is the turn of Governor Francis Nwifuru, who hails from Ebonyi North Senatorial District, to rule like the others for eight years.”
He questioned the rationale behind campaigns against the governor’s re-election, contending that political actors seeking an Ezza governorship in 2031 should consider the implications of their positions on the 2027 contest.
According to him, “Nwifuru’s victory is sacrosanct” and he is the person who, in his view, can “cede power to Ezza nation in 2031.”
Aliuna said he had decided to suspend his own ambition to contest the House of Representatives election in order to concentrate on mobilising support for Nwifuru’s re-election.
He also disclosed that he was working with political mobilisation groups, including the Polling Unit Mobilisation (PUM) for FON, where he serves as State Liaison Officer, Media, to galvanise grassroots support for the governor ahead of the 2027 election.
The development comes amid increasing political alignments in Ebonyi ahead of the 2027 elections. In June, the Ezza Ezekuna Development Association publicly endorsed Nwifuru for a second term and argued that Ebonyi North should retain the governorship until 2031 under what it described as the state's rotational arrangement.
Aliuna, however, said political differences should not degenerate into hostility, urging political parties, aspirants and their supporters to conduct their activities peacefully.
He cautioned against inflammatory rhetoric, blackmail, intimidation and violence, stressing that political competition should not be allowed to undermine relationships among citizens or the peace of the state.
The former candidate also appealed to political actors to focus their campaigns on issues capable of advancing the development and unity of Ebonyi, rather than personal attacks and divisive rhetoric.
He urged eligible voters to participate peacefully in the 2027 electoral process and exercise their franchise in accordance with the law.
Aliuna said the overriding consideration for political actors should be the interest, peace and continued development of Ebonyi State, regardless of their party affiliations or individual political ambitions.
