.Canvasses renewed mandate for President
Deji Elumoye in Abuja
Vice President Kashim Shettima declared that said the President Bola Tinubu-led government is engineering a seismic economic and security shift in the South-East through aggressive capital injections into transport, green energy, agriculture, housing and human capital development.
According to him, the intervention of the government at the centre in Ebonyi State and the wider South-East are designed to improve regional connectivity, strengthen food security, expand economic opportunities and address longstanding development challenges that have constrained the region’s economic potential.
Speaking during the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign rally in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State capital, Shettima said the Tinubu administration had demonstrated its commitment to the state through major infrastructure projects, federal appointments and policies aimed at improving the welfare of citizens.
“This campaign has been a season of triumph. We have triumphed over the falsehoods of our opponents. We have triumphed over those who mistook the limits of their imagination for the limits of our reach. We have never turned our backs on you. We have answered your support with projects and President Bola Tinubu has honoured Ebonyi through distinguished appointments and projects across the state,” he said.
The Vice President maintained that the administration’s development programmes reflect its determination to honour the confidence reposed in it by Nigerians, stressing that public office imposes an obligation to deliver measurable improvements in people’s lives.
“If any state can speak with confidence about the dividends of democracy, it is Ebonyi. You have stood by us. You have assured us that a mandate is a debt of honour, repayable only through service. Yet democracy demands the humility of asking again. We have returned to seek the renewal of your mandate, to serve you, to defend you, and to stand by you.”
Highlighting ongoing infrastructure investments, Shettima identified the Calabar–Ebonyi–Benue–Kogi–Nasarawa–Abuja Superhighway, which forms part of the administration’s Trans-Saharan highway vision, as a major project intended to strengthen trade and economic integration between the South-East, North-Central and other parts of the country.
He also listed the Ndibe Bridge, designed to improve connectivity between Ebonyi and Cross River states, as well as ongoing work on the Enugu–Abakaliki–Ogoja Expressway and the Okposi–Ohaozara–Ukawu–Cross River road.
“Where shall we begin the account of our work? Shall we begin with the Calabar–Ebonyi–Benue–Kogi–Nasarawa–Abuja Superhighway, part of our Trans-Saharan highway vision? Or with the Ndibe Bridge, which will link Ebonyi with Cross River? We are advancing work on the Enugu–Abakaliki–Ogoja Expressway and the Okposi–Ohaozara–Ukawu–Cross River road. Again, I ask: where shall we begin?” he stated.
The Vice President explained that the road projects would improve the movement of agricultural produce, manufactured goods and other commodities while reducing the logistical barriers facing businesses and communities across the region.
On agriculture, Shettima described Ebonyi as an important contributor to Nigeria’s food security, particularly through rice and cassava production, noting that the administration is supporting farmers with fertiliser distribution, interest-free FarmerMoni assistance and other agricultural development programmes.
He said investments in rural roads are equally important to agricultural productivity, as improved access to markets would help farmers reduce losses, increase earnings and expand production.
The Vice President further disclosed that thousands of beneficiaries in Ebonyi State had received grants under the Presidential Conditional Grant Scheme, while federal employment and digital skills initiatives were creating opportunities for young people to acquire relevant skills and establish sustainable livelihoods.
On security, Shettima said President Tinubu’s government had intensified efforts to restore stability across the South-East, stressing that lasting economic development depends on the safety of communities, businesses and critical infrastructure.
He identified the establishment and commencement of operations at the Nigerian Army Recruits Training Depot at Amasiri–Edda in Ebonyi State as one of the Federal Government’s security interventions in the region.
“The security of the South-East has changed since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu became Commander-in-Chief over three years ago. We have worked to restore order, and we will keep working,” Shettima assured.
The Vice President also noted the establishment of the South East Development Commission, the launch of the South-East Vision 2050 and the approval of the South East Investment Company as major institutional initiatives intended to accelerate regional development, attract investment and create sustainable economic opportunities.
According to him, these interventions recognise the relationship between security, economic inclusion and long-term stability, adding that the Federal Government remains committed to addressing the structural challenges affecting the South-East.
Commending Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, Shettima said improved federal revenue allocations have strengthened the capacity of state governments to invest in infrastructure and essential public services.
He praised Governor Nwifuru for deploying the state’s increased resources towards development projects, describing his administration’s efforts as a demonstration of responsible stewardship.
The Vice President urged the people of Ebonyi State to renew their support for President Tinubu and the APC in the 2027 general elections, maintaining that the administration had established the foundation for further economic progress and national development.
He thanked the people of Ebonyi State for their continued support and urged them to stand by President Tinubu, Governor Nwifuru and the APC in the forthcoming elections.
In their separate remarks at the rally, Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru; former APC National Chairman, Senator Adams Oshiomhole; and Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, commended President Tinubu’s economic reforms and infrastructure investments, urging the people of the state to renew their support for the administration in the 2027 general elections.
Nwifuru reaffirmed the state’s support for President Tinubu, saying Ebonyi had benefited significantly from the administration’s economic reforms and special interventions in road infrastructure.
“Under President Tinubu, the poor roads in our state and zone are now better. We now enjoy special road interventions,” he said.
The governor, however, appealed to the Federal Government to support the provision of a 330kV electricity transmission line to improve power supply across Ebonyi State.
Stressing the importance of reliable electricity to industrial development and economic growth, he assured President Tinubu that the state would deliver 80 percent of its votes to him in the 2027 presidential election.
Also speaking, Minister of Works, Senator Umahi, described the massive turnout at the rally as a demonstration of Ebonyi State’s support for the APC and President Tinubu.
He thanked the President for what he described as unprecedented federal investments in road infrastructure across the state, involving hundreds of kilometres of highways and billions of naira in funding.
Umahi further urged the people of Ebonyi State to sustain their support for the Tinubu–Shettima administration, expressing confidence that the state would deliver 1.3 million votes to the President in the forthcoming election.
Earlier, on arrival in Abakaliki, the Vice President paid a courtesy visit to His Royal Highness, Eze Fidelis Nwonumara, Eze Nnodo II of Amagu Autonomous Community in Abakaliki and Chairman of the Izzi/Nnodo Traditional Rulers Council, where he was conferred with the traditional chieftaincy title, Aka Ekpuchi Ọnwa, meaning “A Hand Cannot Cover the Moon.”
The title, drawn from an Igbo proverb, symbolises the enduring power of truth, integrity and greatness, conveying the belief that genuine merit and distinguished service cannot be concealed or diminished.
The conferment celebrated the Vice President’s public service and the longstanding bonds of friendship between the people of Northern Nigeria and the South-East.
Expressing gratitude to the monarch and the traditional rulers, Shettima described the honour as a personal responsibility to deepen his relationship with Ebonyi State and strengthen national unity.
He recalled the historic ties of trade, friendship and shared community life between the North and the South-East, noting that Nigeria’s diversity remains one of its greatest strengths.
“I have travelled from the far North-East to the South-East, yet I stand here among brothers and sisters. Our ancestors understood that friendship could cross rivers, mountains and kingdoms. They knew that a stranger who is received with love soon becomes a member of the household. This is the Nigeria we must preserve,” the Vice President stated.