Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru of Ebonyi State has strongly rejected claims that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ceded political control of the state to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking at a well-attended stakeholders’ rally in Abakaliki organised in support of his second-term bid, the governor warned against what he described as provocative political manoeuvres by certain opposition figures. He insisted that Ebonyi State remains firmly in the hands of its people and the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“I heard some people are saying that President Tinubu has given Ebonyi State to the PDP for the 2027 governorship election, and their leader Nyesom Wike has taken over the state,” Nwifuru said, directly addressing the rumours. “Don’t push us. We are not afraid of anyone.”
The governor accused some allies of the former Rivers State governor within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of spreading the narrative across Ebonyi communities in a bid to create confusion and weaken APC structures. He described the claims as false and lacking any basis in reality.
The rally, which drew large crowds of APC supporters, traditional rulers, town union leaders, and other stakeholders, served as a platform to reaffirm loyalty to President Tinubu’s administration and Governor Nwifuru’s leadership. Recent endorsements from various groups, including town unions in Ebonyi North Senatorial District and rice mill operators in Abakaliki, have bolstered the governor’s re-election prospects.
Nwifuru, who assumed office in May 2023 after serving as Speaker of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly, has continued to align closely with the APC’s national direction. He has repeatedly declared support for Tinubu’s re-election, citing ongoing federal projects and the need for continuity in state governance.