Chinedu Ogah
Susan Abayomi
A member of the House of Representatives representing Ikwo/Ezza South Federal Constituency of Ebonyi State, Chinedu Ogah, has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to reconsider the exclusion of Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, from the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council for the 2027 general election.
Ogah argued that Nwifuru deserved a prominent role in the presidential campaign structure, citing his commitment to the APC, efforts to strengthen the party in Ebonyi State and contribution to peace and unity among party stakeholders.
The APC Presidential Campaign Council includes several prominent political figures from the South-East. Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, serves as Secretary of the council, while former Ebonyi State Governor and Minister of Works, David Umahi, is Deputy Director-General in charge of Infrastructure, Mobilisation and Sensitisation. Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, is the South-East Zonal Campaign Coordinator.
Other South-East members include Senator Uche Ekwunife, who serves as South-East Zonal Director for Election Planning, Coordination and Mobilisation, alongside other prominent party leaders from the region.
However, Nwifuru is not listed among the principal members of the campaign council.
Ogah said the governor’s exclusion could send the wrong political signal to residents of Ebonyi State, particularly the Abakaliki bloc, which he described as a major political constituency in the state.
According to the lawmaker, a significant proportion of Ebonyi’s electoral strength comes from the eight local government areas that make up the Abakaliki bloc, making the bloc an important factor in the APC’s 2027 presidential campaign strategy.
“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 in 2017, stressing that his support for 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 maintained that the APC should not take its growing electoral strength in Ebonyi for granted, particularly as Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo are currently the three APC-controlled states in the South-East.
He questioned why Nwifuru should be excluded from the campaign structure when the governors of Enugu and Imo had been assigned prominent roles.
“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 Nwifuru’s inclusion would help ensure that the people of Ebonyi feel adequately represented and 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,” Ogah said.
He further cautioned political stakeholders against underestimating the importance of Nwifuru’s support ahead of the 2027 election, stressing that grassroots structures remain crucial 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.
Ogah described the governor’s omission as an error that should be corrected without delay.
“I see it as a mistake for not including his name. But that error has to be corrected immediately,” he stated.
The lawmaker also commended Nwifuru for what he described as his efforts to promote peace and unity within the Ebonyi APC.
He said the governor’s consultations with party stakeholders had helped reduce internal divisions and strengthen cohesion within the party.
Ogah urged Tinubu to disregard what he described as unfounded allegations against Nwifuru, warning that such distractions should not be allowed to undermine the unity of the APC in Ebonyi State.
He also praised the Nwifuru administration for its development efforts across the state, arguing that the governor’s performance and grassroots acceptance made him an important political partner for the President’s 2027 campaign.
“Election is not won on Facebook,” Ogah said, urging the Presidency to pay closer attention to grassroots political realities and support structures rather than relying solely on social media narratives.
He maintained that including Nwifuru in the campaign structure would strengthen the APC’s mobilisation efforts in Ebonyi and further consolidate the party’s position in the South-East.
Ogah therefore called on Tinubu and the APC national leadership to reconsider the governor’s exclusion and include him in the presidential campaign structure, arguing that his participation would promote party unity, strengthen grassroots mobilisation and enhance the APC’s prospects in the 2027 general election.
