Some Ebonyi State youths have stated that they have rejected the All Progressive Congress (APC) governorship candidate in the state, Francis Nwifuru, ahead of the 2023 general election.
Mr Nwifuru is the current speaker of the State Assembly and has been endorsed as Ebonyi State Governor Dave Umahi’s preferred successor.
However, youths affiliated with the Izzi Nnodo Youth Forum expressed dissatisfaction with the APC candidate’s “political disposition,” according to the Vanguard newspaper.
They stated that they require a candidate who will not only protect their interests but will also govern the people of the state with “fear of God” in 2023.
In a statement issued over the weekend, the group endorsed Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate Edward Nkwegu as its sole candidate for the 2023 general election.
The communique was signed by the youth group’s chairperson, Maurice Mbam; its pioneer president, Edward Nwenu; and its immediate past president, Michael Nwambam, among others.
The group stated that their stance was consistent with “equity, fairness, and justice,” and they urged Izzi Nnodo Clan members both at home and abroad to unite in support of the LP candidate, Mr Nkwegu, in the state’s general election in 2023.
“Not only will this bring peace, unity, and progress to Izzi land, but to the entire Ebonyi State,” says the statement. The support for Sir Edward Nkwegu stems from “credibility, charity of purpose, and Izzi land unity,” according to the communique.
The group vowed not to tolerate “any form of political hooliganism, threats to life and property,” and it also condemned “victimization, undue violence, undue influence, and vote buying” during the political period.
“We request that the state government provide a level playing field for all political parties to exercise their franchise,” it said.
The group urged the people of Ohaukwu to reciprocate the support shown to their brother and former governor of the state, Sam Egwu, when he ran for governor and senator in the state.
“We remind our brothers from the Ebonyi Central Senatorial Zone to support us as we supported their brother, Chief Martins Nwanchor Elechi, in order to produce the next governor of this state in the 2023 general elections,” the statement said.
“We also remind our brothers from the Ebonyi South Senatorial Zone to remember that at the Teachers’ Training College, Igneagu in Izzi Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, the Izzi Nnodo Youth Forum first declared to shift power to the southern zone of the state, which later led to the emergence of Governor David Nweze Umahi in 2015 until date,” the group added.
Background
The people of Ebonyi North District have repeatedly stated that it is their turn to produce a governor of the state in 2023, in accordance with the state’s zoning arrangements.
The district is divided into four LGAs: Izzi, Ebonyi, Abakaliki, and Ohaukwu.
Mr Nkwegu ran for the APC governorship ticket in May, but was defeated by Mr Nwifuru in the party primary.
He later defected to the LP, where he became the party’s general election candidate in 2023.
Messrs Nwifuru and Nkwegu are from the state’s Izzi Local Government Area and the Ebonyi North District, respectively.
However, the two come from different communities within the district’s council area.
