Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State has dismissed claims that President Bola Tinubu has ceded political control of the state to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
Nwifuru, who spoke during a stakeholders’ rally in Abakaliki on June 15, said reports suggesting that President Tinubu had handed Ebonyi State to Wike and his political associates were false and should be disregarded.
The governor said some individuals had been going around claiming that the President had entrusted Ebonyi State to Wike and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), insisting that such claims would not change the political reality in the state.
He maintained that Ebonyi remained firmly under the control of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and warned that anyone attempting to undermine the party’s position in the state would be resisted.
Nwifuru declared that his administration and APC supporters were prepared to defend their political mandate, stressing that Ebonyi was not for sale and that any attempt to challenge the party’s resolve would be met with strong resistance.
The governor spoke at the rally attended by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma and Anambra State Governor Charles Soludo, who made a surprise appearance despite belonging to the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
Although Wike has yet to respond to the governor’s remarks, a faction of the PDP led by Abdulrahman Mohammed condemned the comments, describing them as reckless, inflammatory and politically motivated.
Addressing journalists at the party’s national secretariat on Thursday, the faction said the 2027 governorship election in Ebonyi would be decided by the electorate based on performance rather than intimidation or political threats.
The faction also challenged Governor Nwifuru to prepare to face its governorship candidate, Ifeanyi Odii, in the next election, while urging security agencies and civil society organisations to take note of what it described as disturbing comments by the governor.
However, another PDP faction led by Kabiru Turaki backed Nwifuru’s position, arguing that the governor merely condemned what it described as Wike’s anti-party activities and political interference outside his jurisdiction.
The faction’s spokesman, Ini Ememobong, said the governor’s comments reflected concerns over Wike’s alleged involvement in political affairs beyond Rivers State and insisted that Alexander Eze remained the recognised governorship candidate of the faction in Ebonyi ahead of the 2027 election.
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