Desperation: Ebonyi governor Nwifuru orders council bosses to deliver APC victory or be sacked

Ebonyi State Governor, Mr Francis Nwifuru, has put the state’s newly inaugurated local government chairpersons under pressure to deliver electoral victories for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 elections or risk losing their positions.

Nwifuru gave the warning on Tuesday in Abakaliki while inaugurating chairpersons and vice-chairpersons for the state’s 13 local government areas.

The governor said the performance of each council chairman would be judged by the outcome of the 2027 elections in his or her council.

He declared that any chairman who failed to deliver the council to the APC would be removed and replaced by a councillor.

“Any chairman who fails to win his council will be removed from office and replaced with a councillor,” Nwifuru said.

READ ALSO: 2027: Borno commissioner threatens to flog anti-APC supporters

He challenged the council bosses to strengthen the APC’s presence in their respective areas and prevent opposition parties from gaining political ground ahead of the election.

Nwifuru said the chairpersons should not assume that the party’s expected statewide victory would come automatically, warning that those who failed to mobilise support in their councils would be held responsible.

He also directed them to work towards securing what he described as a 100 percent vote for the APC in 2027.

Beyond electoral mobilisation, the governor urged the new council leaders to maintain a functional relationship with their deputies, warning against political rivalry within the councils.

He asked vice-chairpersons to support their chairpersons and remain prepared to take over their responsibilities when necessary.

Using the analogy of a vehicle, Nwifuru described the deputies as ‘spare tyres inside the car boot,’ stressing that they should remain available to assist rather than compete with the substantive chairpersons.

The governor also warned the council officials against allowing outside influences and gossip to undermine their working relationships.

Nwifuru pointed to the political progression of his deputy, who previously served as a local government chairperson, as evidence that effective performance at the grassroots could lead to higher office.

He said her performance as a council chairperson had helped demonstrate her capacity for greater responsibilities.

Responding on behalf of the new council chairpersons, Chairman of Afikpo Local Government Area, Timothy Nwachi, pledged that the officials would justify the confidence placed in them.

He also promised that they would work towards delivering a landslide victory for the APC in their respective councils in 2027.

The newly inaugurated chairpersons include Osborne Umahi, son of Works Minister David Umahi, and Chidi Nwode, a relation of the governor’s wife.

APC’s desperation

Analysts say the threat shows how desperate the APC is inwinning the 2027 elections at all levels. Just last week, Borno State Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Sainna Buba, sparked controversy after threatening to flog people who refused to support the All Progressives Congress in the 2027 general elections.

Recently, Chairman of Kuje Area Council in the Federal Capital Territory, Samuel Shekwolo, was seen in a social media video warning residents who do not support the APC to leave the area ahead of the 2027 elections.

Shekwolo attributed his position to what he described as development projects carried out by the Tinubu administration and the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, in Kuje.

He argued that residents who benefited from the administration’s interventions should support the APC at the polls.

There was also controversy surrounding comments by Osun East Senator Francis Fadahunsi ahead of the August 15, 2026 governorship election.

READ ALSO: Otti rejects Uzodimma’s claim that South-East governors have endorsed Tinubu for 2027

Fadahunsi faced criticism after remarks concerning members of the Accord Party were interpreted as a threat of violence. Governor Ademola Adeleke subsequently called for his arrest and investigation.

The senator later denied threatening violence, explaining that he was referring to defeating the Accord Party through votes rather than physically attacking its members.

The Osun State Police Command subsequently invited Fadahunsi for questioning over the comments.

“The latest statement from the Borno commissioner continues to prove that the police must wake up and do their job. By now, I had expected that he would be facing interrogation after these inciting words. It’s such a shame concerning how we view politics in this part of the world,” said a Lagos-based lawyer, Mr Jamil Audu.