Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State has firmly rejected claims that President Bola Tinubu handed over political control of Ebonyi State to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, ahead of the 2027 governorship election. Speaking on June 15 during a stakeholders’ rally in Abakaliki, the state capital, Nwifuru, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), addressed allegations that Tinubu had ceded Ebonyi to Wike and his faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The rally, broadcast live on TVC News, was organized to endorse the governor’s re-election and President Tinubu’s 2027 bid.
Nwifuru Vows to Resist Alleged Takeover
At the rally, Nwifuru disclosed that unnamed allies of Wike have been spreading claims that Tinubu handed over Ebonyi to the FCT minister. “Some people are going around and saying that they discussed with President Tinubu and that the president has given Ebonyi to PDP. They said Nyesom Wike is their leader and that Wike said the president has given Ebonyi to him. And we say to them, ‘eeyaah!’” he narrated, using an exclamatory term meaning “what a pity.” The governor then vowed to frustrate the move, threatening to deal with Wike or anyone involved in the alleged plot. “Now, I want to sound this way as your governor: We are not afraid. We only hold ourselves because our people are with us. Nobody should push us because we have all it takes to consume whoever is trying us; we have all it takes to destroy whoever is trying us,” he said, apparently referring to Wike and his allies.
Nwifuru continued: “We’re sending a message to them directly or indirectly that we’re members of the All Progressives Congress and that’s where Ebonyi people belong. And whoever is trying our resolve, the outcome will be very funny for him.” The governor was flanked at the rally by APC chieftain and Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, as well as Anambra State Governor Charles Soludo, who made a surprise appearance despite being a member of the All Progressives Grand Alliance.
Wike’s Political Affiliation and Support for Tinubu
Meanwhile, Wike is officially a member of the PDP faction chaired by Abdulrahman Mohammed and recognized by the Independent National Electoral Commission. However, he works under the administration of Tinubu, a member of the ruling APC. The FCT minister has consistently expressed support for Tinubu’s reelection in the 2027 general elections.
PDP Factions React to Nwifuru’s Remarks
Although Wike has yet to respond to the governor’s remarks, his PDP faction has faulted Nwifuru, describing his comments as reckless, inflammatory, and a sign of desperation ahead of the 2027 polls. The spokesperson of the PDP faction, Jungudo Mohammed, during a press conference at the party’s national secretariat on Thursday, told the governor that the 2027 governorship election in Ebonyi would be determined by performance, not intimidation or political blackmail. “These unfortunate statements clearly expose a governor who is increasingly troubled by the prospect of his rejection by the people of Ebonyi State in 2027,” he said.
Mohammed challenged the governor to prepare to face their faction’s governorship candidate, Ifeanyi Odii, in the 2027 election. He rejected attempts by Nwifuru to drag Wike into his local political challenges and called on security agencies and civil society organizations to take note of the governor’s “disturbing” remarks. “If the governor truly wishes to ‘consume’ the people of Ebonyi State, let him do so through visible developmental projects, effective governance and tangible improvements in their living conditions,” he said.
Another PDP Faction Backs Nwifuru
However, another faction of the PDP, chaired by Kabiru Turaki, has praised Governor Nwifuru for his remarks against Wike. In a statement on Thursday, the faction’s spokesperson, Ini Ememobong, defended Nwifuru, arguing that the governor simply “called out and condemned the anti-party activities and political blackmail” of the FCT minister. Ememobong said the governor’s remarks reiterated “the painful fact of Wike’s meddlesomeness in political affairs outside his official and geographic jurisdictions” using Tinubu’s name. “We are certain that Governor Nwifuru is conscious of the ignoble role Wike, then as the governor of Rivers State, played in pushing his predecessor (Dave Umahi) out of the PDP,” he stated. The spokesperson stressed that Alexander Eze remains the governorship candidate of the PDP faction in Ebonyi State ahead of the poll.
