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Back Mgbebu as running mate
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From Uchenna Inya, Abakaliki
The Ezza Ezekuna Leaders Council has endorsed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Ebonyi State, Chief Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii, for the 2027 election, declaring that his candidacy offers the shortest pathway to an Ezza person becoming governor of the state.
In a communiqué signed by its leaders, Chima Ikechukwu, Ekuma Onyebuchi, Chief Ifeanyi Ojeogu, Idris Oken, Igwe Chikaodiri, Obasi Emmanuel, Enyiukpor Emmanuel and other leaders, the council expressed support for Odii’s choice of an illustrious Ezza son, Patrick Nworu Mgbebu, as his running mate, describing the nomination as a significant opportunity for the Ezza people to secure a place in the state’s executive leadership.
The council, which represents Ezza Ezekuna communities across Ebonyi State and in the diaspora, said the endorsement was informed by the need to address what it described as the longstanding marginalisation of Ezza people in strategic political positions since the creation of the state.
It recalled the contributions of prominent Ezza leaders, including Senator Dr Offia Nwali, Chief Innocent Ugo Chima, HRH Ezeogo Samuel Onyeka Mgbada, Chief Sam Okohu and Chief Felix Mgbada, among others, to the struggle for the creation of Ebonyi State, lamenting that such sacrifices had not translated into commensurate representation at the highest levels of governance.
According to the council, no Ezza indigene has occupied the offices of governor, deputy governor or federal minister since the creation of the state, nor received an ambassadorial appointment, a situation it said underscored the need for a more inclusive political arrangement.
It argued that Odii’s emergence as the PDP candidate and the nomination of Mgbebu as his running mate presented an opportunity to advance the political aspirations of Ezza people, particularly against the uncertainty surrounding the political arrangement ahead of 2031.
The council further recalled that Odii had demonstrated commitment to Ezza political inclusion in 2023 through his nomination of Distinguished Senator Paulinus Igwe Nwagu as running mate, describing his latest choice of Mgbebu as another indication of his recognition of the Ezza people’s place in the state’s political development.
It also expressed confidence in Mgbebu’s capacity to serve as deputy governor, citing his previous experience as a commissioner of the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) and member of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly representing Ezza North-East, alongside his background in law and political science.
The council called on Ezza sons and daughters, traditional rulers, political leaders, professionals, business people, women, youths and those in the diaspora to unite behind the PDP ticket, insisting that the community’s political aspirations must be pursued through peaceful, lawful and democratic participation.
It cautioned against misinformation, intimidation, divisive rhetoric and what it described as empty political propaganda, urging its people to place their collective future above personal interests and partisan considerations.
The communiqué maintained that supporting Odii did not amount to hostility towards other political parties or communities, stressing that the Ezza people’s quest for political inclusion should not come at the expense of the rights and aspirations of other groups in Ebonyi State.
It also called for sustained engagement on the Charter of Equity, insisting that any political arrangement in the state should guarantee fairness, mutual respect and equal opportunities for all constituent communities.
The council, however, declared that the 2027 election presented a critical opportunity for Ezza people to advance their long-standing governorship aspiration, warning that abandoning the Odii-led ticket could prolong the community’s quest for the state’s highest political office.
It urged its members across the state and beyond to mobilise support for Odii’s victory, expressing the hope that his emergence as governor would create a pathway for an Ezza indigene to succeed him at the end of his tenure.
The communiqué concluded that the future of Ebonyi State should be built on the principles of fairness, inclusion and collective progress, adding that the Ezza people sought recognition of their contributions and a fair opportunity to participate in the leadership of the state.
