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From Kenneth Udeh, Abakaliki
The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ebonyi State, Chief Stanley Okoro-Emegha, has pledged to deliver all APC candidates in the state in the 2027 general elections, while reaffirming his loyalty to Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru and extolling the leadership qualities of Senator Orji Uzor Kalu and former Governor David Umahi.
Chief Okoro-Emegha spoke on New Year’s Day with the SUN at his country home in Ebonyi State while hosting Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, describing the annual visit as symbolic of long-standing political and personal relationships.
Responding to questions on what to expect differently in the new political year, the APC chairman said his priority remained strengthening party unity and electoral victory.
“What you can get from me is working hard more to make sure that the party… because outside your biological home, the next family you have is your party, your political organization. So as such, it is to work hard as the APC Chairman, Ebonyi State, to work very hard and make sure that one, I deliver all APC candidates in Ebonyi State,” he said.
He stressed that loyalty to the state governor was non-negotiable, noting that Governor Nwifuru remains the leader of the party in the state.
“I am going to continue to be loyal to my Governor, the Governor of Ebonyi State, who has found me worthy again to continue in this position. The Governor is the leader of the party, who has every right to change whichever party chairman he feels is not working so far as it has to do with the progress of the party,” Okoro-Emegha stated.
According to him, strict adherence to party directives would guide his leadership.
“So as such, I am going to work very hard to make sure that everything that has to do with the party is carried to a letter,” he added.
The Ebonyi APC chairman also spoke extensively on his long-standing relationship with Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, whom he described as a mentor and benefactor.
“I have maintained a very long relationship with OUK, Distinguished Senator Orji Uzor Kalu. He nurtured me, he gave me the basement, he gave me his account to be running a business till now. Despite the fact that I’m in Ebonyi, he still includes me in his day-to-day business,” he said.
He added that Senator Kalu had consistently advised him to remain loyal to the state governor.
“Orji Kalu is somebody who will advise you to work very hard and be loyal to your boss, which is the Governor. He has persistently instructed and directed that I should continue to be loyal to the Governor, who is the leader of the party in my state,” Okoro-Emegha noted.
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In his New Year goodwill message to the people of Ebonyi State, the APC chairman described the state as one of the most peaceful in the federation and attributed the calm to unity and collective resolve.
“As you can see, Ebonyi is being adjudged as the most peaceful state in the whole federation. It is because we have decided to work as a family in order to take the state out of relegation,” he said.
He urged residents to maintain unity despite differences.
“Disagreement always comes in, but we must find a way to agree with each other to make sure that we move Ebonyi forward. We have to take Ebonyi into the hand of God and then continue to maintain peace and give support to the Governor,” he added.
Speaking on agriculture and youth participation, Okoro-Emegha said farming was part of Ebonyi’s heritage and economic backbone.
“You don’t need to advise an Ebonyi man to go into agriculture because they know it is like an inheritance and nobody can abandon his inheritance,” he said.
Highlighting the state’s agricultural advantage, he noted:
“For agriculture, you can get rice the cheapest here. You can get a 50kg bag of rice here at ₦25,000. Our land is fertile… since we don’t have crude, our own crude oil is agriculture.”
On national politics and Ebonyi’s rising profile, the APC chairman praised former Governor David Umahi, now Minister of Works, describing him as a symbol of the state’s capacity.
“Whatever thing an Ebonyi man gives to the nation is first class and they can compete favorably well anywhere in the world. David Umahi can compete favorably well so far as it has to do with that field anywhere in the world,” he said.
He also commended Governor Nwifuru’s leadership style.
“The Governor we have now, Right Honourable Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, he is a wonderful person. He is a man that has the heart of gold. He is a man that wants to see everybody being happy,” Okoro-Emegha stated.
In his closing remarks on Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, the Ebonyi APC chairman described the senator as a unifying leader with a large heart.
“He is a man that doesn’t know the difference between an Abian and an Ebonyian. He sees everyone as one,” he said.
He offered prayers for the senator’s continued leadership and well-being.
“My prayer for him is that God will continue to give him long life and prosperity… because he is a leader not just in Abia, but in the entire South East and Nigeria at large,” Okoro-Emegha concluded.
