Ebonyi PDP Candidate Says He Won't Step Down for Governor Nwifuru in 2027

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Ebonyi State, Ifeanyi Odii, will not step down for Governor Francis Nwifuru in the 2027 general elections. This was stated by Mr Odii's spokesperson, Emma Igwe, on Monday.

Recently, the Minister of Works, David Umahi, said he would ask his "cousin" Mr Odii to step down for Mr Nwifuru before the elections.

Umahi promised to convince Mr Odii that it was not the turn of the southern senatorial district to have the governorship since he just left the position in 2023.

Umahi and Nwifuru belong to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Igwe, while representing Mr Odii at the Ebonyi 2027 elections democratic dialogue in Abakaliki, emphasized that the PDP candidate would not step down for anyone.

He said he had Mr Odii’s permission to declare that it was absurd to treat the Ebonyi governorship position as a family issue.

"I do not believe Umahi said so, but if he did, it must have been in a moment of happiness or a joke.

“When the minister ran for the Ebonyi governorship, he stood strong and faced the challenges that tried to stop him from becoming governor.

“He did not become governor because he came from the southern senatorial district but because he was determined," he said.

Igwe insisted that any family matters between Umahi and Odii should remain private and not mix with politics.

"Odii has his own political plans and supporters, and those should not be linked to any family matter.

"PDP supporters and all the people of Ebonyi should know that the man who will help the state must contest in the election," he stated.

He also mentioned that while Odii understands that zoning encourages inclusiveness, it should not apply when a rescue mission is needed.

"Odii plans to serve one term with the goal of rescuing the state from its current challenges and then hand over," he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the dialogue was organized by the Centre for Media and Dialogue Initiative in partnership with the Correspondents Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists in Ebonyi.