By Uchenna Okah Abakaliki

The Chairman of the Ebonyi State Council of Elders, Ben Okah, has declared that Governor Francis Nwifuru faces no serious opposition ahead of the 2027 governorship election in the state.

Okah, who made the assertion while speaking with journalists in Abakaliki on Saturday, described individuals parading themselves as opposition figures as “Facebook politicians,” accusing them of relying more on social media activities than genuine grassroots engagement.

The elder statesman urged Ebonyi residents to disregard what he described as attempts by attention seekers and social media content creators to tarnish the image of the governor and his administration.

According to him, political opposition in the past involved politicians physically visiting communities, inspecting projects, attending rallies and interacting directly with the people, rather than relying primarily on social media campaigns.

“It is now very cheap to campaign. You can sit in your house in Lagos and call content creators and Facebook boys and give them money. They will stay in one room in Lagos and create content, create AI pictures for people to look at,” Okah said.

He maintained that the political reality in Ebonyi was different from what was being portrayed on social media, insisting that those claiming to be opposition leaders lacked the grassroots presence and impact required to challenge the governor.

“As far as the state is concerned, who is his opposition? Where is the person? Is he residing in this state? What has been his impact in this state?” he queried.

Okah also defended the state government’s ongoing development projects, dismissing criticisms surrounding the pace of work on some projects, including the proposed cement factory.

He said he recently visited the site of the cement factory and confirmed the presence of Chinese professionals who, according to him, were already carrying out preliminary technical work ahead of the main construction and installation phase.

“The people who are here now are, first of all, the geologists. The surveyors are here and their job is for two months. They will be here for two to three months before the actual installation will start,” he explained.

The chairman said the establishment of a cement factory was a complex engineering undertaking that required extensive geological, surveying and other preliminary studies before the installation of major equipment could begin.

He further said Ebonyi had enjoyed relative peace and development under Nwifuru, urging politicians to avoid inflammatory rhetoric and concentrate on issues capable of advancing the interests of the state and its people.

On criticism that President Bola Tinubu had yet to commission projects in Ebonyi, Okah said the state had several projects that would be ready for commissioning whenever the President visits.

“When the President comes to commission Ebonyi projects, I’ve told you, you have strong legs to follow the commissioning process,” he said.

Addressing concerns over Ebonyi’s representation in federal government recruitment, the elders council chairman acknowledged that the state, being one of the developing states, had historically struggled to attract adequate federal presence.

He, however, expressed optimism that the situation was improving, stressing that the state would continue to work towards bridging the gap between Ebonyi and other states.

Okah urged residents to resist the temptation of allowing social media narratives to shape their perception of the state, insisting that the performance of any administration should be judged by tangible developments and its impact on the people.

“As far as I’m concerned, the election is concluded and the governor has no opponent,” he declared.