2027: Ogah Urges Tinubu to Include Nwifuru in Presidential Campaign Council

By Uchenna Okeh, Abakaliki

The member representing Ikwo/Ezza South Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives,Chinedu Ogah, has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to reconsider the exclusion of Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, from the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council for the 2027 general election.

Ogah, a chieftain of the APC and long-standing supporter of President Tinubu, said Nwifuru deserved a prominent role in the campaign structure,

citing his commitment to the party, grassroots influence and efforts to strengthen peace and unity within the APC in Ebonyi State.

The lawmaker made the call while speaking on the composition of the presidential campaign council, which includes prominent political figures from the South-East.

He noted that 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.

Ogah also pointed out that Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, was appointed South-East Zonal Campaign Coordinator, while other prominent South-East political figures, including Senator Uche Ekwunife, were assigned key responsibilities.

He, however, expressed concern that Governor Nwifuru, despite being the serving governor of Ebonyi State, was not among the principal members of the campaign structure.

According to Ogah, the omission could send the wrong political signal to the people of Ebonyi State, particularly the Abakaliki bloc, which he described as a major political constituency with significant electoral strength.

“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 mobilising support for Tinubu as far back as 2017, stressing that his commitment to the President’s political project predated the 2023 general election.

He further recalled 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), describing the development as evidence of his long-standing commitment to the party.

Ogah said the APC should not take Ebonyi’s electoral strength for granted, particularly as Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo remain the three APC-controlled states in the South-East.

He questioned the rationale behind assigning prominent campaign roles to the governors of Imo and Enugu while leaving out the Ebonyi governor.

“When the other two governors were included, why is Ebonyi not included? That election is about the people that are popular. It is the people that will give out votes. Abakaliki bloc cannot be neglected in the presidential list,” he said.

The lawmaker argued that Nwifuru’s inclusion would help ensure that the people of Ebonyi felt carried along in the President’s 2027 re-election campaign.

Ogah appealed to President Tinubu not to be swayed by what he described as frivolous allegations against the governor, warning that excluding Nwifuru could create unnecessary discontent among his supporters.

“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,” he said.

He further stressed the importance of grassroots structures in determining electoral outcomes, urging the Presidency and APC leadership to pay attention to political realities beyond social media activities.

“Election is not won on Facebook,” Ogah stated, maintaining that effective grassroots mobilisation and the support of influential political stakeholders would be crucial to the APC’s performance in 2027.

The lawmaker also commended Nwifuru for his efforts to promote peace and unity within the Ebonyi APC, particularly through consultations with party stakeholders aimed at reducing internal divisions and strengthening cohesion.

He praised the governor’s administration for its development initiatives across the state and said Nwifuru’s grassroots acceptance made him an important partner in the President’s re-election bid.

Ogah maintained that carrying the Ebonyi governor along would strengthen the APC’s campaign machinery, deepen party unity and boost grassroots mobilization across the state.

He therefore urged President Tinubu and the national leadership of the APC to correct the omission by including Nwifuru in the presidential campaign structure, insisting that doing so would help consolidate the party’s position in Ebonyi and the wider South-East ahead of the 2027 general election.