By Nkechinyere Ewa
Senator Peter Onyekachi Nwebonyi, Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate, has declared that opposing his re-election bid in 2027 amounts to opposing Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, insisting that he remains the governor’s preferred candidate for the Ebonyi North Senatorial District seat.
Nwebonyi made the declaration during an engagement with political stakeholders, community leaders, women and youths of Iziogo Ward in Izzi Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, where he sought support for his second-term ambition and highlighted his legislative interventions and constituency projects.
The event, held at Iziogo Central School, featured the commissioning of a 10,000-litre-capacity solar-powered motorised borehole, distribution of four motorcycles to selected youths and the flag-off of a 15-kilometre road construction project in the community.
The senator said he had justified the confidence reposed in him since his inauguration into the 10th National Assembly in 2023, listing scholarship opportunities for 185 graduates, construction of more than 45 houses for indigent widows, boreholes and other empowerment initiatives among his interventions.
He also disclosed that he had provided vehicles to APC chairmen in the four local government areas of Ebonyi North Senatorial District Abakaliki, Ebonyi, Izzi and Ohaukwu while also constructing houses for the party’s women leaders in the areas.
Nwebonyi said he had facilitated scholarships for 18 beneficiaries from Iziogo Ward alone, adding that his interventions also included the distribution of motorcycles, agricultural inputs and other empowerment materials.
“I constructed boreholes in this community. I gave scholarships to 18 persons from this place, and I have produced 185 graduates between when I became a public officeholder and now as your senator.
“I have built over 45 houses for indigent widows. I have given cars to the APC chairmen in the four local government areas of Abakaliki, Ebonyi, Izzi and Ohaukwu. I have also built houses for the women leaders in the four local government areas,” he said.
On the 2027 elections, the senator cautioned against what he described as divisive political tendencies, insisting that his ambition enjoyed the backing of Governor Nwifuru.
“If you oppose me, you are opposing our leader, the governor of Ebonyi State, Rt. Hon. Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, because I am his candidate, following his pronouncement right from the day of consultation and the primaries of our party, the APC,” he declared.
He commended women, particularly market women, for their contributions to political mobilisation and democratic participation, assuring them that their interests would remain a priority in his political engagements.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Barr. Felicia Nwamkpuma, recalled development interventions attracted to the community during Nwebonyi’s previous supervisory responsibilities, noting that residents continued to appreciate projects executed in the area.
She assured the senator of the support of women groups, particularly the APC women’s wing, while urging him to give greater attention to youth engagement and mobilisation ahead of the 2027 elections.
Nwamkpuma also appealed to community leaders and political stakeholders to guide young people towards responsible political participation and discourage activities capable of disrupting the electoral process.
Also speaking, a former Commissioner for Health, Dr. Sunday Nwangele, urged residents to remain committed to the APC, saying support for the party would translate into support for Governor Nwifuru, Nwebonyi and other APC candidates.
Nwangele listed Chief Emmanuel Uguru, candidate for Abakaliki/Izzi Federal Constituency, and Godwin Abiri, representing Izzi West State Constituency, among the party’s candidates he urged the electorate to support.
He commended Nwebonyi’s interventions in the area, including road construction and provision of boreholes, while calling for continuity in his representation.
He further claimed that Governor Nwifuru had directed eligible voters in Izzi to support APC candidates across all elective positions, from the presidency to the state constituency level.
Similarly, Godwin Abiri described the Nwifuru administration as one that had prioritised infrastructure and human capital development, urging residents to support the governor’s re-election bid, Nwebonyi and other APC candidates.
Abiri called for political unity, warning against divisions that could weaken the party’s mobilisation efforts.
Speaking on behalf of the community, Anayo Nwoga pledged the support of Iziogo Ward stakeholders and residents for APC candidates, assuring that the community would work towards securing victories for the party.
In his remarks, Chairman of the Development Centre Coordinators’ Forum, Chidi Ogbonna, said Nwebonyi had demonstrated commitment to the development of Ebonyi North through interventions across different communities.
Ogbonna described the senator’s relationship with Governor Nwifuru and membership of the APC as important considerations in the party’s political mobilisation ahead of the 2027 elections.
The Coordinator and other speakers, including the National President of Women of Grace Foundation, Princess Modester Amarachi Nwebonyi, said the APC was preparing for the forthcoming elections.
They noted that Nwebonyi’s engagement with stakeholders from the 14 villages in Iziogo Ward demonstrated his commitment to grassroots consultation.
The event attracted APC stakeholders, community leaders, women and youth groups, among others.