2027: Ebonyi Commissioner, PUM declare ‘no vacancy’ in Ebonyi Govt House

….As PUM vows to mobilize over 700,000 votes for Nwifuru 

By Uchenna Okeh, Abakaliki

The Ebonyi State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Chief Uche Igwe, and executives of the Pulling Unit Mobilization (PUM) for FON have declared their determination to secure the re-election of Governor Francis Nwifuru in 2027, insisting that there is no vacancy in the state’s Government House.

The group also unveiled an ambitious mobilization drive aimed at delivering overwhelming support for Nwifuru and other All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates in the forthcoming general elections, with its state coordinator, Ogbuefi Zaccheaus Ifeuwabundidi, projecting a potential voting bloc of more than 700,000 supporters.

Igwe made the declaration when the PUM for FON executives visited his office along Onwe Road in Abakaliki, the state capital, where he pledged to work closely with the group to strengthen grassroots mobilization for the governor’s second-term bid.

The commissioner challenged opposition parties to focus on issue-based campaigns rather than what he described as blackmail and attempts to tarnish the governor’s image, arguing that Nwifuru’s record in governance had earned him another term in office.

Highlighting the administration’s achievements in traditional institutions, healthcare, infrastructure and human capital development, Igwe said the government had strengthened traditional leadership structures across the state’s communities and provided support to traditional rulers.

He cited the construction of palaces for traditional rulers, the provision of two-kilometre roads and the distribution of more than 170 sport utility vehicles (SUVs) to traditional rulers as some of the initiatives undertaken under his ministry.

Igwe also praised the governor for improving healthcare delivery through the recruitment of medical personnel, efforts to make general hospitals functional, the provision of medical equipment and incentives to encourage health workers to remain in their respective facilities.

According to him, the administration’s investments in education and empowerment, including overseas postgraduate scholarships and financial assistance for trained ward councillors to establish businesses, demonstrate its commitment to improving the welfare of residents.

The commissioner further identified the relative peace in Ebonyi as one of the administration’s major achievements, saying residents could move around more freely than in previous years.

He also commended Nwifuru for addressing outstanding financial obligations inherited from previous administrations, including pension-related liabilities dating back to 1996, while seeking to avoid excessive borrowing.

Igwe urged political supporters to demonstrate genuine loyalty to the governor by supporting the APC candidates he had endorsed, stressing that backing Nwifuru without supporting the party’s candidates would undermine the collective political objective.

Earlier, the state coordinator of PUM for FON, Ifeuwabundidi, said the organisation was expanding its grassroots structures to build a formidable mobilization network ahead of the 2027 elections.

He explained that the group intended to leverage its structures across the state’s 13 local government areas and 2,947 polling units to mobilise voters for Nwifuru and other APC candidates.

According to him, the organisation’s strategy involves reaching beyond its existing membership by encouraging supporters to mobilise additional voters, with the ultimate goal of building a much larger support base for the governor.

Ifeuwabundidi said PUM for FON was also reaching out to aggrieved politicians and supporters of other political parties in an effort to expand its membership and consolidate support for the APC-led administration.

He disclosed that the group planned to inaugurate additional structures in public institutions and other locations across the state, expressing confidence that the initiative would strengthen the party’s grassroots presence.

The coordinator, who said he had resigned from his previous political position to concentrate on mobilization, assured Igwe that the organisation would intensify its activities to secure victory for Nwifuru and other APC candidates.

He described the governor’s re-election bid as non-negotiable from the group’s standpoint, adding that its members remained committed to the campaign under the slogan, “FON Is a Goal; 2027 Is Assured.”

Also speaking, the state liaison officer for media, Aliuna Godwin, expressed confidence in PUM’s capacity to mobilise substantial support for the governor, citing what he described as the administration’s record in infrastructure and human capital development.

Aliuna argued that Nwifuru’s performance had placed him in a strong position ahead of the election and urged the governor’s supporters to consolidate their efforts at the grassroots.

He also criticised opposition parties over what he described as attempts to portray the governor negatively, urging political actors to focus on constructive engagement and issue-based campaigns

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The PUM executives reaffirmed their commitment to expanding the organisation’s reach across Ebonyi State, expressing optimism that their mobilization efforts would translate into electoral support for Nwifuru and other APC candidates in 2027.