The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Ebonyi State, Chief Ifeanyi Odii, has declared that Governor Francis Nwifuru has not done enough to merit a second term in office.
Odii made the claim on Monday, during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme, where he outlined his assessment of the Nwifuru administration and his plans for Ebonyi State, ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
The PDP candidate said the performance of an incumbent should be judged by measurable improvements in the lives of residents, arguing that projects and government spending must be connected to the immediate economic and social needs of the people.
According to him, Ebonyi remains one of Nigeria’s poorest states and should therefore prioritise poverty reduction, human-capital development, employment creation and investment in productive sectors.
“I don’t really think he has done much. And that’s the truth,” Odii said when asked whether he believes Nwifuru has done enough for the people.
He argued that the governor should be able to demonstrate his achievements through projects that have a direct impact on residents.
Odii also questioned the administration’s emphasis on major infrastructure, including the state airport and flyovers, saying he would have prioritised agriculture, rural roads, industrialisation and human-capital development.
“If you ask me, I would say no, we don’t need it now,” he said of the airport, while also questioning the need for what he described as a large number of flyovers in a state with relatively low vehicular traffic.
He said his administration would instead make agriculture a major driver of the state economy, citing Ebonyi’s production of rice, cassava, yam and other crops.
Odii promised to improve rural road networks, mechanise farming, provide training and support for farmers, and introduce policies designed to attract private-sector investment into the state.
He also said his administration would focus on creating an environment where investors could establish businesses, arguing that Ebonyi needs industries capable of creating jobs and expanding its internally generated revenue.
The PDP candidate said education would be another major pillar of his proposed government, promising free scholarships and improved learning environments, saying every child born in Ebonyi should have access to education.
Odii also proposed the creation of a ministry dedicated to senior citizens and ageing, with responsibility for healthcare and welfare programmes across the state’s 13 local government areas.
He said his administration would establish skills-acquisition centres to tackle youth unemployment, with training in areas including carpentry, tailoring, PoP installation, agriculture, fishery, animal husbandry and other trades.
According to him, the proposed centres would accommodate thousands of young people and equip them with skills to become economically productive.
Odii acknowledged that successive administrations had contributed to Ebonyi’s infrastructural development but questioned whether some of the projects being pursued by the current and previous governments represented the state’s most pressing needs.
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He described some projects as “white elephant projects” where, in his view, the connection between expenditure and immediate human needs was insufficient.
He said his approach would be to prioritise projects capable of generating employment, reducing poverty and expanding the state’s economic base.
The PDP candidate also pointed to his private philanthropic activities, including education, healthcare outreach, housing and skills development, as evidence of the approach he intends to bring into governance.
