Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State has dismissed claims that President Bola Tinubu has ceded political control of the state to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
Speaking at a stakeholders’ rally in Abakaliki organised in support of his re-election, the governor said certain members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) loyal to Wike had been spreading such claims across the state.
“I heard some people are saying that President Tinubu has given Ebonyi state to PDP for the 2027 governorship election, and their leader Nyesom Wike has also said that the president has given Ebonyi to him. We say to them, ‘eyaah’. Ebonyi is not for sale. We are not afraid,” Nwifuru said.
He further alleged that Wike’s supporters in the opposition party were boasting of taking over the state.
“Wike’s boys in the PDP are going around claiming that Wike assured them that he has given Ebonyi state to them. We say to them ‘eeyaah!’.”
The governor also issued a strong warning against what he described as political overreach.
“Don’t push us,” he warned.
The governor, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), used the rally to reaffirm his support for President Tinubu and rally support for the ruling party in Ebonyi State.
The event attracted party faithful, traditional rulers and other stakeholders, who expressed support for both the governor and the president.
Nwifuru also highlighted ongoing development projects in Ebonyi State and federal government interventions impacting the South-East region.
