Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi state has endorsed the return bid of Senator Onyekachi Nwebonyi, Senator Ken Eze, Hon. Chinedu Ogah and Hon. Joseph Nwobashi ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The consultations, which took place in Abakaliki, were aimed at selecting consensus candidates for both the National Assembly and Ebonyi state House of Assembly seats.
Among the federal lawmakers who secured the governor’s backing were Senator Nwebonyi of Ebonyi North, Senator Ken Eze of Ebonyi Central, Hon. Chinedu Ogah of Ikwo/Ezza North Federal Constituency, and Hon. Joseph Nwobashi of Ezza South/Ishielu Federal Constituency.
At the APC State Secretariat during the Ebonyi North stakeholders’ meeting, Nwifuru formally ratified the return ticket for Senator Nwebonyi, citing broad support from party leaders and the absence of opposition to his second-term ambition.According to the governor, the decision followed extensive consultations designed to preserve party unity and strengthen the APC ahead of the primaries.
“There is no dissenting voice against his aspiration; therefore, the party will support his return in the interest of continuity and effective representation,” the governor said.
However, decisions on some constituencies were postponed to allow further consultations, especially in areas where competing interests have generated internal disagreements.In Abakaliki/Izzi and Ebonyi/Ohaukwu Federal Constituencies, represented by Hon. Emmanuel Uguru and Hon. Eze Nwachukwu respectively, the governor directed stakeholders to reconvene on Friday for further deliberations.
A similar position was taken in Ebonyi South Senatorial District, where Senator Anthony Ani is seeking a second term amid growing contestation within the party.
Political tension in the zone has increased following the declaration of interest by Austin Umahi, younger brother of Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, who has openly criticised the performance of the incumbent senator.
Across the 24 state constituencies, the exercise produced mixed outcomes, with some lawmakers retaining support for return tickets, others losing out to new aspirants, while several seats remain unresolved as consultations continue.
