By Jane Daniels
The Ebonyi State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has hit back at socialite, Pascal Okechukwu, popularly known as Cubana Chief Priest, over his criticism of Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, describing it as politically motivated and lacking in facts.
In a recent statement by its Assistant Publicity Secretary, Ekenchukwu Arum,, the party said Okechukwu’s assessment of the Nwifuru administration reflected a poor understanding of governance and development.
The APC said Nwifuru’s administration had recorded achievements in education, healthcare, roads, agriculture, human-capital development, workers’ welfare, security and youth empowerment since assuming office in May 2023.
It said the governor’s People’s Charter of Needs had translated into projects and programmes across the 13 local government areas.
The party particularly faulted Okechukwu’s apparent focus on President Bola Tinubu’s presence or absence at project commissioning ceremonies as a measure of the governor’s performance.
“Since when did presidential presence at a commissioning ceremony become the report card for a governor’s performance?” it queried.
According to the APC, the true measure of governance is the impact of projects and policies on the people, not the personalities who attend their commissioning.
The party urged critics to visit Ebonyi, inspect the projects and speak with beneficiaries before passing judgment on the administration.
The APC also questioned Okechukwu’s political standing, citing his widely reported poor performance at a House of Representatives primary election, where it claimed he polled 14 votes out of 2,845 votes cast.
It said the result showed the difference between social media popularity and grassroots political acceptance.
The party, however, acknowledged Okechukwu’s right to participate in politics and express his views, stressing that its objection was to what it described as reckless propaganda against the governor.
It challenged him to identify specific failed policies or projects and provide verifiable evidence to support his claims.
The APC warned that political attacks would not distract Nwifuru from pursuing his development agenda, urging Ebonyi residents to judge the administration by its policies, projects and measurable impact.
It also cautioned against alleged attempts by political interests to use individuals to undermine the governor ahead of the 2027 elections.
“Governance is not show business,” the party declared, insisting that the Nwifuru administration remained focused on development and the welfare of Ebonyi people.
