Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate, Peter Onyekachi Nwebonyi, has declared that opposition parties stand little chance of defeating Ebonyi State Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru in the 2027 governorship election. Nwebonyi, who represents Ebonyi North Senatorial District, attributed the governor’s growing popularity to his administration’s investments in infrastructure and human capital development.
The senator spoke at his polling unit at Community Primary School, Mbeke Ishieke, in Ebonyi Local Government Area after the state’s local government elections. He said he visited about five polling units during the exercise and described voter turnout as encouraging. According to Nwebonyi, the turnout reflected growing support for the All Progressives Congress (APC) across the state.
“The turnout is suggesting that Ebonyi State is APC and APC is Ebonyi State.”
The lawmaker said Nwifuru’s projects and policies had improved the lives of residents and strengthened his political position ahead of 2027. He described the governor as a purposeful leader focused on leaving Ebonyi better than he found it. Nwebonyi therefore warned potential challengers against underestimating Nwifuru’s political strength.
“Anybody who is coming to challenge my governor in the next election is embarking on what we call a wild goose chase.”
He particularly highlighted the governor’s human capital development programmes, including initiatives providing Ebonyi indigenes opportunities for advanced and specialised education.
Nwebonyi also praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, saying federal infrastructure projects had increased confidence in the APC among people in the South-East. He said ongoing road projects connecting the region with other parts of the country would strengthen economic integration and create opportunities for trade and development.
According to him, the Federal Government’s intervention represented a significant shift in attention towards Ebonyi and the wider South-East and South-South regions. He described the Calabar-Ebonyi-Benue-Nasarawa-Abuja highway as a major economic corridor that would improve the movement of people and goods.
The Deputy Chief Whip also commended the Minister of Works, David Umahi, for innovations in federal road construction. He specifically praised the use of concrete pavement technology on major highways. Nwebonyi described Umahi, a former governor of Ebonyi State, as a major contributor to the state’s modern development.
“You may not like him as a person, but you must appreciate the quality of work he is doing.”
The senator said his support for the APC at both federal and state levels was based on tangible development rather than political sentiment.
“Leadership is not rhetoric. Leadership is putting on the ground life-impacting projects that even the unborn generation will come and see.”
Nwebonyi also listed some of his constituency interventions, including road construction, scholarships, educational support, street lighting and market development. He said more than 900 students from Ebonyi North and other areas had benefited from his scholarship programme. The lawmaker further highlighted the development of a regional market along the new highway corridor.
He said the project would strengthen agricultural trade by connecting farmers and traders to wider markets. According to him, the facility was expected to be completed by December and would serve as a commercial hub along the corridor.
Nwebonyi maintained that effective leadership requires personal sacrifice and a commitment to improving citizens’ lives. He urged Nigerians to recognise leaders who deliver development, regardless of political differences.
“If somebody is doing well, commend him. President Tinubu is doing well. The Minister of Works is doing well. My governor is doing well.”
