2027: Ex-NASS candidate, Aliuna, Odoh inaugurate Nwifuru’s polling unit mobilizers in Ishielu 

By Uchenna Okeh, Abakaliki

The Former House of Representatives candidate for Ebonyi/Ohaukwu Federal Constituency, Aliuna Godwin, and the Director-General of the Ebonyi State Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency (EBSMEDA), Dr Stephen Odoh, have inaugurated polling unit mobilisation executives in Ishielu Local Government Area to drive support for Governor Francis Nwifuru’s re-election bid in 2027.

The inauguration, held on Wednesday at the Ishielu Local Government Area headquarters in Ezzillo, along the Ebonyi–Enugu Expressway, brought together mobilisation executives drawn from the area’s 16 political wards and 243 polling units.

The Nations News reports that the executives are operating under the Polling Unit Mobilisation for FON (PUM for FON), a political mobilisation initiative established to galvanise support for Nwifuru ahead of the 2027 general election.

Odoh serves on the initiative’s Board of Trustees (BoT), while Aliuna is its Liaison Officer on Media.

Addressing the newly inaugurated executives, Aliuna urged them to embark on intensive grassroots mobilisation, including house-to-house campaigns, to secure widespread electoral support for Nwifuru.

He charged them to take the governor’s achievements to communities across Ishielu, particularly in human capital development, infrastructure, free education, payment of pensions and gratuities to retirees, improved minimum wage for civil servants and efforts to restore peace and order in parts of the state.

According to him, the mobilisation team must ensure that residents are adequately informed about the administration’s performance during its first three years in office.

Aliuna also urged the executives not to be distracted by political commentators and prospective opposition aspirants, insisting that the governor’s record in office should remain central to the campaign for his re-election.

He maintained that Nwifuru should be allowed to complete a second term, citing the political precedents of former governors Sam Egwu, Martin Elechi and David Umahi.

The former House of Representatives candidate further argued that the zoning arrangement established by the founding fathers of Ebonyi State should be sustained, describing it as an important consideration in the state’s political succession process.

Aliuna expressed confidence in Nwifuru’s re-election prospects, arguing that the administration’s performance would be a major factor in determining voters’ choices in 2027.

In his remarks, Odoh assured the newly inaugurated executives of the support of the All Progressives Congress (APC) leadership and Ishielu political stakeholders for the party’s candidates ahead of the general election.

He said the mobilisation initiative enjoyed the backing of the state government, party leaders and relevant stakeholders, urging members to remain committed to the party’s electoral interests despite political distractions.

“The state government is committed to what we are doing. The party has assured us of its support, and the stakeholders are with us. We are committed to the candidates of the APC,” Odoh said.

He added that the mobilisation team must not abandon its candidates or support candidates of rival political parties, stressing the need for unity and sustained grassroots engagement.

“We know a lot of things and distractions are happening here and there, but we cannot abandon our candidates. We cannot support other people’s candidates,” he said.

Odoh urged the executives to extend their mobilisation efforts to communities across the state, saying their activities should contribute to political stability and strengthen support for the party’s candidates.

He also encouraged members to translate the objectives of PUM for FON into practical action in their respective communities, rather than limiting their activities to meetings and formal engagements.

Both Odoh and Aliuna commended the vision bearer of PUM for FON, Ogbuefi Zaccheaus, for his efforts to build a grassroots support network for Nwifuru’s anticipated re-election campaign.

Responding on behalf of the newly inaugurated executives, the Ishielu coordinator, Ogbuzuru Onyebuchi, pledged that the team would immediately begin grassroots mobilisation across the local government area.

He said the executives understood that their inauguration came with responsibilities and a clear mandate to reach voters in rural communities, including farms, kindreds, hamlets and other hard-to-reach settlements.

“We are not just inaugurated for anything; we are inaugurated into action. And the action is to go down to the hinterlands, go down to the farms, go down to kindreds and hamlets,” Onyebuchi said.

He explained that the team would focus on educating voters about the electoral process, including how to identify their preferred party’s symbol on the ballot and correctly cast their votes.

According to him, the mobilisation drive would involve sustained voter sensitisation to ensure that eligible voters understand the voting process and are adequately prepared for the 2027 elections.

Onyebuchi expressed confidence that the Ishielu executives would fulfil their responsibilities and justify the confidence reposed in them by the initiative’s leadership and stakeholders.

He pledged the team’s commitment to the objectives of PUM for FON and assured its leadership that the executives would work towards achieving the mandate given to them.