The member representing Ikwo/Ezza South Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Rep. Chinedu Ogah has advised President Bola Tinubu to reconsider the exclusion of Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, from the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council for the 2027 general elections.
Rep. Ogah said Governor Nwifuru deserves a prominent role in the presidential campaign structure because of his commitment to the party, his efforts to strengthen the APC in Ebonyi State and his contributions to peace and unity within the party.
The APC Presidential Campaign Council includes several prominent political figures from the South-East.
Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, is serving as secretary, while former Ebonyi State Governor and Minister of Works, David Umahi, is deputy director-general in charge of infrastructure, mobilisation and sensitisation.
Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, is also the South-East zonal campaign coordinator, and Senator Uche Ekwunife, listed as South-East zonal director for election planning, coordination and mobilisation.
However, Governor Nwifuru, despite being the serving governor of Ebonyi State, is not among the principal members of the campaign council.
Rep. Ogah said the omission could send the wrong political signal to the people of Ebonyi State, particularly the Abakaliki bloc, which he described as a major political constituency in the state.
According to him, a significant proportion of Ebonyi’s votes comes from the eight local government areas that make up the Abakaliki bloc, asserting that the bloc cannot be overlooked by the APC ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
“I started the Tinubu Support Group. I am speaking as an APC member from Ebonyi State. I have served this party just like Governor Nwifuru,” Rep. Ogah said.
The lawmaker recalled that he began the Tinubu support movement as far back as 2017, stressing that his commitment to the president’s political project predates the 2023 general elections.
He also noted that he was the first APC member to win a House of Representatives seat in Ebonyi State, when the state was still controlled by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Rep. Ogah said the APC’s electoral strength in Ebonyi should not be taken for granted, especially as Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo are currently the three APC-controlled states in the South-East.
He questioned why Governor Nwifuru should be excluded when the governors of Enugu and Imo were given prominent roles in the presidential campaign structure.
“When the other two governors were included, why is Ebonyi not included? That election is about the people that are popular. It is the people that will give out votes. Abakaliki bloc cannot be neglected in the presidential list,” he said.
The lawmaker said the governor’s inclusion is necessary to ensure that the people of Ebonyi feel carried along in the president’s re-election campaign.
“The president should not listen to whatever anybody can come to give him as a frivolous story. It is not a threat. But if the governor is not included, people will not be happy,” he said.
Rep. Ogah further warned that political stakeholders should not underestimate the importance of Governor Nwifuru’s support ahead of the 2027 elections, insisting that grassroots structures remain critical to electoral success.
“People will not be happy during voting if their governor is not carried along. I want to inform the President that 99 per cent of Ebonyians and the masses are with Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru,” he said.
He described the governor’s omission as an error that should be corrected immediately.
The lawmaker also commended Nwifuru for what he described as his efforts to restore peace and unity within the Ebonyi APC.
He noted that the governor’s consultations with party stakeholders had helped reduce internal divisions and strengthen cohesion within the party.
Rep. Ogah urged President Tinubu to disregard what he described as frivolous and unfounded claims against Governor Nwifuru, stressing that such distractions should not be allowed to undermine the unity of the APC in Ebonyi State.
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