By Jeff Agbodo, Abakaliki
ABAKALIKI — The Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate and Senator representing Ebonyi North Senatorial District, Peter Onyekachi Nwebonyi, has declared that no opposition party can defeat Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, in the 2027 governorship election.
Nwebonyi attributed the governor’s growing political support to his administration’s achievements in infrastructure and human capital development, saying the projects would boost his chances of securing re-election.
The senator spoke at his polling unit at Community Primary School, Mbeke Ishieke, in Ebonyi Local Government Area of the state, after the local government elections.
Nwebonyi, who said he had visited about five polling units, described the voter turnout as encouraging and said it reflected growing support for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.
“For the last turnout in this election, I have visited about five polling units and the turnout is encouraging.
“The turnout is suggesting that Ebonyi State is APC and APC is Ebonyi State. The reason behind this turnout is not far-fetched. It is because the Governor of Ebonyi State, Rt. Hon. Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, has put smiles on the faces of every Ebonyi person.
“That is why every Ebonyi person today is singing APC, APC, APC,” he said.
The senator said Nwifuru’s performance had strengthened his political standing ahead of the 2027 election, urging anyone planning to challenge the governor to reconsider the ambition.
“You can see a purposeful leader. You can see a man who is working for tomorrow. You can see a man with foresight. You can see a man who wants to leave Ebonyi State better than the one he is presiding over today.
“Therefore, anybody who is coming to challenge my governor in the next election is embarking on what we call a wild goose chase,” he said.
Nwebonyi particularly commended Nwifuru’s human capital development initiatives, saying the administration had provided opportunities for Ebonyi indigenes to pursue advanced education, including specialised programmes outside the country.
He also praised President Bola Tinubu, saying the administration’s infrastructure projects and federal road interventions had given people in the South-East greater confidence in the APC.
According to him, ongoing federal road projects linking the South-East with other parts of the country would improve economic integration and create new opportunities for commerce and development.
“The President and Commander-in-Chief, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has given the Igbo race, not just Ebonyi people, reasons to believe in APC.
“This is the first time the Federal Government is remembering significantly the people of Ebonyi State and the South-East and South-South geopolitical zones through projects of this magnitude,” he said.
Nwebonyi described the ongoing Calabar-Ebonyi-Benue-Nasarawa-Abuja highway project as a major economic corridor that would enhance connectivity among the affected states.
He said the project would facilitate the movement of people and goods while stimulating economic activities along the corridor.
The lawmaker also commended the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, for what he described as innovations in road construction, particularly the adoption of concrete pavement technology on major federal highways.
“While we commend the President, we must also appreciate the man I have described as a grandfather of modern Ebonyi State, His Excellency, Engineer Senator David Nweze Umahi, the immediate past governor of Ebonyi State and the current Minister of Works.
“For the wonderful innovation, you must give it to him. If you don’t like his face, please like what he is doing. You may not like him as a person, but you must appreciate the quality of work he is doing,” he said.
Nwebonyi said his support for the APC leadership at the federal and state levels was based on what he described as tangible development projects rather than political sentiment.
“Leadership is not rhetoric. Leadership is putting on the ground life-impacting projects that even the unborn generation will come and see,” he said.
The senator also highlighted some of his constituency projects, including road construction, educational support, scholarships, street lighting and market development.
He said more than 900 students from Ebonyi North and other areas had benefited from his scholarship programme, while several infrastructure projects were ongoing across communities in the senatorial district.
Nwebonyi said the development of a regional market along the new highway corridor would boost agricultural trade and provide farmers and traders with access to wider markets.
“This site building will serve as a prototype of what is going to be here,” he said, adding that the project was expected to be completed by December.
He said the market, when completed, would complement the area’s strategic position as a commercial and agricultural hub.
Nwebonyi further said governance should be driven by sacrifice and a commitment to improving citizens’ lives.
“A leader should be ready to spend all he has. A leader should be ready to spend whatever comes his way, including his personal income, to help the people. That is leadership,” he said.
He urged political leaders and Nigerians to support public office holders who demonstrate commitment to development irrespective of political differences.
“If somebody is doing well, commend him. President Tinubu is doing well. The Minister of Works is doing well. My governor is doing well,” Nwebonyi said.
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