Party leaders rally Ebonyi behind Tinubu; Nwifuru reaffirms support, cites achievements
Date: November 9, 2026
By Abraham Ovuoba
ABAKALIKI – Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, was on Monday shut down by a massive political mobilisation as the presidential campaign train of the All Progressives Congress (APC) rolled into Pa Ngele Oruta Township Stadium, drawing a mammoth crowd of party supporters, stakeholders and political leaders from across the country.
The rally, which turned the stadium into a sea of APC colours, flags and solidarity songs, provided a major political platform for the ruling party to rally support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in the 2027 general elections.
Vice-President Kashim Shettima, who represented the President, led the charge, urging Ebonyians to vote massively for Tinubu and reciprocate the Federal Government’s development interventions in the state with another mandate.
Shettima said the Tinubu administration had demonstrated commitment to Ebonyi through strategic road projects, security interventions, educational support, agricultural programmes and economic empowerment initiatives.
He listed the Calabar-Ebonyi-Benue-Nasarawa-Abuja Superhighway, Enugu-Abakaliki-Ogoja Expressway and proposed Ebonyi-Cross River bridge among the major federal infrastructure projects targeted at opening up the state and strengthening regional connectivity.
Shettima maintained that the administration had returned to Ebonyi not merely to solicit votes but to account for its stewardship, stressing that Tinubu’s re-election bid was anchored on continuity in development and addressing the challenges confronting the region.
Ebonyi State Governor, Rt. Hon. Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, reaffirmed the state’s commitment to Tinubu’s re-election, describing his endorsement as a product of conviction, gratitude and the President’s performance.
Nwifuru used the occasion to showcase his administration’s scorecard, disclosing that it had completed over 1,000 kilometres of roads across the state’s 13 local government areas, alongside investments in healthcare, education, agriculture and housing.
However, the governor called for more federal intervention, appealing to Tinubu to address Ebonyi’s electricity challenges through the proposed 330KV transmission line and support the proposed railway linking Abakaliki with other South-East commercial centres.
Also speaking, Minister of Works, Senator David Nweze Umahi, commended Tinubu for infrastructure investments in Ebonyi and the South-East, citing ongoing projects, including the Afikpo-Ndibe Beach Road and other strategic highway corridors linking the state with neighbouring states.
He urged Ebonyians to assess the Federal Government’s performance through its development interventions rather than political sentiments.
Earlier, APC Deputy National Chairman (South), Dr Benjamin Nwoye, who represented the party’s National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, urged residents to sustain their support for the party and ensure its victory in the 2027 elections.
Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah, former Edo State Governor and Senator Adams Oshiomhole, and Senator Onyekachi Nwebonyi were among the APC chieftains, government officials, stakeholders and supporters who attended the mega rally.
