By Jeff Agbodo, Abakaliki
The Ebonyi State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has condemned a statement allegedly made by Governor Francis Nwifuru directing newly inaugurated local government chairmen and their deputies to “deal with opposition parties mercilessly.”
The governor was alleged to have made the remark during the swearing-in ceremony for the council chairmen and their deputies at the Ecumenical Centre, Abakaliki.
The PDP called on Nwifuru to withdraw the statement, describing it as “unpardonable executive rascality” and warning that it could heighten political tension in the state ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Addressing journalists in Abakaliki, the state chairman of the party, Chief Chukwuma Igwe, said the PDP would resist any alleged assault on its members through lawful and constitutional means.
Igwe said: “This is highly concerning coming from the Chief Security Officer of Ebonyi State, addressed to men now vested with public authority over 13 councils. This is not political banter; it is an open charge to visit official hostility upon citizens for no offence beyond their choice of party.
“We regard this incitement in substance of what it is, an invitation to bloodshed and avoidable hostility. Hence, the governor himself invited press coverage of the remark, thereby defeating any doubt that it was meant to be heard, understood and acted upon.”
The PDP chairman also questioned the legality of the local government elections that produced the newly inaugurated council officials.
He alleged that the August 22, 2026 election conducted by the Ebonyi State Independent Electoral Commission, EBSIEC, took place despite what he described as a subsisting legal dispute over previous local government elections.
According to him, the party had earlier challenged the conduct of local government elections in the state, alleging that EBSIEC proceeded with the exercises despite court judgments and pending legal issues.
Igwe also criticised the two-year tenure regime provided under the amended Ebonyi State Local Government Law No. 005, arguing that it was inconsistent with constitutional provisions on democratically elected local government administration.
Turning to the governor’s alleged remark, the PDP chairman accused Nwifuru of displaying intolerance towards opposition parties.
He alleged that the governor had previously used inflammatory language against the opposition, citing a June 15, 2026 statement in which Nwifuru was allegedly quoted as threatening to “consume” the opposition.
Igwe further alleged that opposition members had been attacked in different parts of the state, citing incidents in Ohaukwu and Ezza South Local Government Areas.
He also accused the state government of failing to protect journalists, alleging that members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Correspondents’ Chapel, had previously been assaulted and their operational vehicle attacked.
The PDP chairman urged security agencies to investigate the allegations and ensure that their duties were carried out impartially, irrespective of political affiliation.
He said democracy depended on citizens’ freedom to choose their political parties, express their views and participate in the political process without intimidation.
Igwe said the PDP would not be intimidated into silence, adding that the party would use “every lawful, physical and constitutional avenue” available to defend its members and structures.
He said: “Let it be known that Ebonyi State does not belong to one political party, and its security architecture does not exist to serve one political entity; that principle is non-negotiable.”
Igwe further alleged that the governor’s conduct could amount to a breach of his oath of office, but stressed that the ultimate judgment on the administration would be delivered by the people through the ballot box in 2027.
He said the PDP would continue to defend its members’ rights and participate in the 2027 election, despite what it described as attempts to intimidate the opposition.
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