The member representing Ezza North/Ishielu Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Chief Joseph Nwobasi, has urged the people of Ezza Ezekunna Nation in Ebonyi State and beyond to support the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Governor Francis Nwifuru’s re-election bid in 2027, saying the clan hopes to produce the state governor in 2031.
Nwobasi made the appeal on Sunday during an interview with Journalists at Abakaliki, urging Ezza people across the state to close ranks behind the APC, President Bola Tinubu, Governor Nwifuru and other candidates of the party in the forthcoming general elections.
He said the people should prioritise political unity and support the ruling party in 2027, while pursuing their governorship aspiration in 2031.
“My message to my people, the people of Ezza clan as a whole, not only Ezza South and Ishielu LGAs, but Ezza as a whole, is that let’s come together and support APC. Let’s come together and support His Excellency, Right Honourable Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, this time,” he said.
The federal lawmaker said Ezza people expected the APC to consider the clan for the governorship position in 2031, irrespective of the local government area from which the eventual candidate might emerge.
“Come 2031, our plea, our intention and our expectation is that the party should kindly hand over to an Ezza man.
"Irrespective of where the person is coming from, as far as the person is an Ezza man, let that be that Ezza has taken their own share,” Nwobasi said.
He expressed confidence that sustained support for the APC would strengthen the clan’s political position, urging its people to rally behind the party’s candidates in the 2027 elections.
On his re-election prospects, Nwobasi dismissed concerns about the presence of candidates from other political parties, saying his grassroots mobilisation and consultations had reinforced his confidence in the contest.
“I have no fear of anybody. Everybody has the right to contest, and you have the right to vote and to be voted for. Likewise, every other person,” he said.
The lawmaker maintained that effective representation should be measured by tangible development projects and interventions in constituents’ lives rather than personal wealth or the size of a lawmaker’s residence.
He identified lawmaking, legislative oversight and attracting development projects to the grassroots as his principal responsibilities, adding that his record in previous public offices could be verified through projects executed in communities he had represented.
“I am there to represent people. Whatever is due to the people, I think I should take it to them,” he said.
Nwobasi cited a primary healthcare centre, school infrastructure and a bridge among projects he said he executed or facilitated during his previous tenures as a councillor and member of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly.
The lawmaker also disclosed that he was sponsoring at least 13 students through scholarships, including payment of their school fees and accommodation, and said he was planning another empowerment programme for his constituents.
Addressing allegations circulating on social media that he had failed to fulfil a pledge to support church construction, the lawmaker said the commitment remained active, explaining that he was still gathering building materials.
He said the pledge was made during his 2023 campaign and maintained that his tenure had not ended, leaving him time to fulfil it.
On preparations for the 2027 elections, Nwobasi urged eligible voters who had registered to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), saying he had directed party members to encourage residents to retrieve their cards.
He also stressed the importance of regular consultations and strategic planning by political parties, noting that sustained engagement with members and grassroots mobilisation were necessary components of electoral preparation.
The lawmaker reiterated his appeal for Ezza people to support the APC in 2027, expressing the hope that the party would consider the clan’s governorship aspiration in 2031.
