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From Uchenna Inya, Abakaliki
The member, representing Ikwo/Ezza South Federal Constituency of Ebonyi State in the House of Representatives, Chinedu Ogah has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to reconsider the exclusion of Governor Francis Nwifuru, from the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council for the 2027 general election.
Ogah said 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 contribution to peace and unity within the party.
The APC Presidential Campaign Council included several prominent political figures from the South-East. Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, who is the campaign council secretary, former Ebonyi State Governor and Minister of Works, David Umahi, Deputy Director-General in charge of Infrastructure, Mobilisation and Sensitisation and Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, as South-East Zonal campaign coordinator of the council
Other South-East members include Senator Uche Ekwunife, South-East Zonal Director for Election Planning, Coordination and Mobilisation, among other prominent party leaders from the region.
However, Nwifuru is not among the principal members of the campaign council.
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 and 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,” 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 election.
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).
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 Nwifuru should be excluded when the governors of Enugu and Imo were given prominent roles in the presidential campaign structure.
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“When the other two governors were included, why was Ebonyi not included? That election is about the people that are popular. It is the people that will give out votes. The Abakaliki bloc cannot be neglected in the presidential list,” he said.
The lawmaker said the governor’s inclusion was necessary to ensure that the people of Ebonyi felt 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.
Ogah further warned that political stakeholders should not underestimate the importance of Governor Nwifuru’s support ahead of the 2027 election, 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 percent of Ebonyi people and the masses are with Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru,” he said.
He described the governor’s omission as an error that should be corrected immediately.
“I see it as a mistake for not including his name. But that error has to be corrected immediately,” Ogah stated.
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.
He urged Tinubu to disregard what he described as frivolous and unfounded claims against Nwifuru, stressing that such distractions should not be allowed to undermine the unity of the APC in Ebonyi State.
He also praised the governor’s administration for its development efforts across the state, saying his performance and grassroots acceptance should make him an important partner in the President’s 2027 campaign.
“Election is not won on Facebook,” Ogah said, urging the Presidency to pay attention to political realities and support structures on the ground rather than relying on social media narratives.
He maintained that carrying Nwifuru along would not only strengthen the APC’s campaign in Ebonyi but also reinforce the party’s growing position in the South-East.
Ogah urged Tinubu and the APC’s national leadership to include Nwifuru in the presidential campaign structure, saying his participation would help consolidate party unity, strengthen grassroots mobilisation and improve the APC’s chances in the 2027 general election.
