A coalition of political parties and stakeholders in Ebonyi State has called for urgent action to address poverty, alleged misgovernance, deteriorating infrastructure and threats to the state’s unity ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
The coalition made the call in a communiqué issued at the Peoples’ Political and Economic Summit held on Monday at DafoDil Resort in Abakaliki, the state capital, where opposition political parties, community leaders and other stakeholders deliberated on the state’s political and economic future.
Key Highlights
- A coalition of opposition parties and stakeholders says Ebonyi State needs urgent political and economic reforms.
- The summit rejected the automatic entitlement of incumbents to a second term, insisting that performance should determine re-election.
- Participants endorsed PDP governorship candidate Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii as their preferred alternative.
- The coalition proposed six priority areas, including fiscal transparency, industrial development, mining reform, agriculture, youth employment and infrastructure.
- The group called for peaceful elections, protection of opposition figures and greater accountability from public officials.
Coalition Raises Alarm Over Ebonyi’s Future
The summit attracted representatives of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), the National Democratic Party (NDP) and the Labour Party (LP).
Those in attendance included Barrister Patrick Ngbebu, who represented the PDP governorship candidate, the NDC governorship candidate, state party leaders, community leaders, scholars, civil society organisations, professionals, farmers, artisanal miners, youth and women’s groups, traders, members of the diaspora and other residents.
The communiqué, read and signed by Moses Idika of the drafting subcommittee, recalled the sacrifices made by the people of the old Abia and Enugu states in the struggle that led to the creation of Ebonyi State on October 1, 1996.
The coalition said the state’s founding aspirations should guide its political leadership and development agenda, warning that poverty, poor governance and decaying infrastructure threatened its progress.
It also acknowledged Ebonyi as a democratic state governed by the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, and urged political parties and their candidates to operate within the law.
2027 Governorship Election Must Be Based on Performance, Coalition Says
The summit noted that since Nigeria returned to democratic rule on May 29, 1999, the contest for the Ebonyi governorship has involved candidates from the state’s three senatorial zones.
It argued that a second term should not be treated as an automatic entitlement but earned through satisfactory performance during an incumbent’s first term.
Citing Sections 179 and 180 of the Nigerian Constitution, the coalition maintained that governorship elections must be decided by voters in accordance with constitutional requirements and that incumbents must meet the applicable electoral conditions.
The communiqué stated that the 2027 governorship election should be determined by candidates’ records, capacity, integrity and credible development plans rather than incumbency, the use of state resources, ethnic or sectional sentiments, or inducements.
The summit also rejected what it described as the politics of fear and condemned threats, intimidation and harassment directed at opposition politicians, critics, civil society organisations and journalists.
It called for equal protection under the law for all political parties and candidates, while urging residents to hold both current officeholders and aspiring leaders accountable for their records, character, competence and transparency.
Coalition Backs Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii for 2027
The summit declared that, based on the evidence presented during its deliberations, the current administration had not sufficiently justified a renewal of its mandate.
Participants consequently called for a change of leadership and endorsed PDP governorship candidate Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii as their preferred alternative.
The coalition said its support for Odii was based on its assessment of his record and his potential to address the state’s political and economic challenges.
The endorsement represents the position of the coalition and does not, by itself, establish the candidate’s wider level of support among Ebonyi voters.
Coalition Proposes Six-Point Development Agenda for Ebonyi
The summit adopted six priority areas as a minimum development agenda for political parties and candidates seeking the mandate of the people of Ebonyi State.
1. Fiscal Transparency and Accountability
The coalition called for the timely publication of state budgets, citizens’ budgets and quarterly budget implementation reports.
It also proposed an Open Treasury Portal, a minimum 70 per cent capital budget performance target, the digitisation of internally generated revenue and measures to eliminate revenue collection touting.
2. Economic Diversification and Industrial Development
The communiqué proposed an Ebonyi Productive Economy Model designed to move agriculture towards agro-industry, mineral extraction towards processing and informal businesses towards formal enterprises.
The coalition argued that greater investment in productive sectors would expand employment opportunities and reduce dependence on traditional sources of income.
3. Agricultural and Agro-Industrial Development
The group proposed the establishment of three agro-processing zones: rice processing in Abakaliki, cassava and yam processing in Afikpo, and salt processing and aquaculture in Uburu.
It also called for the revival of the Ebonyi Fertilizer Plant, the establishment of a state aggregation company to purchase and store farm produce and help guarantee prices, and the introduction of a cooperative farm mechanisation scheme.
4. Mining Reform and Mineral Processing
The coalition called for the registration of artisanal miners into cooperatives within six months and an end to the export of unprocessed lead, zinc, salt and limestone.
It also proposed the establishment of an Ebonyi Solid Minerals Development Company to facilitate public-private partnerships.
Under the proposed agenda, the state would target the establishment of a cement factory, a salt refinery and a lead and zinc processing plant within four years.
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5. Human Capital Development and Ease of Doing Business
The summit proposed an Ebonyi Business Enabling Law, a one-stop business facilitation centre and the processing of land titles within 14 days.
It also called for the abolition of multiple taxation affecting small and medium-sized enterprises and the training of 20,000 young people annually in processing, fabrication and information and communication technology.
Greater investment in primary healthcare and basic education also featured among the coalition’s priorities.
6. Infrastructure Development
The coalition proposed the construction of 200 kilometres of critical farm-to-market roads to improve access to markets and reduce transportation difficulties for farmers.
It also called for dedicated electricity supply to industrial clusters and expanded broadband access to support electronic governance, business operations and e-commerce.
Coalition Urges Political Parties to Put Ebonyi First
The summit urged political parties, politicians and interest groups to place the state’s collective interests above personal and partisan considerations.
It warned that decisions made by political leaders would affect future generations and called for a development-focused approach to governance, economic management and public accountability.
“We urge all political parties, politicians and interest groups to put Ebonyi First, as we cannot afford to mortgage the future of our dear state, that of our children and generations unborn,” the communiqué stated.
The coalition’s proposals now place governance, industrial development, infrastructure and the performance of political officeholders at the centre of its agenda for the 2027 Ebonyi governorship election.
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