By Nkechinyere Ewa-Okpara, Abakaliki
The Ebonyi State Government has issued a stern directive to all political parties operating within the state to establish verifiable offices at the state, local government, and ward levels or risk being branded as criminal entities.
Comrade Sunday Nwambam, Special Assistant to Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru on Inter-Party Affairs, gave the directive during a strategic engagement with the state chapter of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) held over the weekend in Abakaliki.
Correspondent reports that the meeting was his sixth interaction with the council since his appointment on March 12, 2024.
Nwambam expressed deep concern over the proliferation of untraceable political organisations across the state, describing them as a threat to democratic transparency and public trust.
“A political party without a base no state office, no LGA or ward structure has no legitimacy in Ebonyi,” he stated. “Henceforth, such formations will be treated as criminal gangs or terrorist groups. We will not tolerate political mercenaries parading as party leaders.”
He lamented that some parties exist only on paper, without any physical presence, enabling faceless actors to exploit legal and electoral loopholes for mischief.
“How can you file a petition against an election when your party has no address or secretariat?” he asked. “Even party constitutions mandate offices at all levels for transparency and public engagement.”
Nwambam, however, reaffirmed Governor Nwifuru’s inclusive governance model, citing the recent N1 million empowerment programme that saw active participation from members of opposition parties.
“It is because of the governor’s inclusive policies that Ebonyi appears to lack opposition,” he noted. “The truth is, we do have strong opposition parties, but they are cooperating with the government because it’s working in the people’s interest.”
The SA encouraged political parties to shun internal wrangling and focus on contributing meaningfully to the state’s development agenda. He emphasised the importance of leadership structure and party discipline within IPAC and beyond.
“Even in families, disagreements are natural, but responsible people resolve them quietly. So far, no formal petitions of crisis have been submitted to my office, and I believe IPAC remains stable,” he added.
He assured that the state government would continue to support parties with credible and functional structures while calling on all to uphold the standards outlined in the Electoral Act and their respective constitutions.“
The era of ghost political parties is over. If you want to operate in Ebonyi, you must be visible, accountable, and committed to peace,” he emphasised.
Nwambam also disclosed plans to commence a physical tour of all registered political party offices across the state from next week, as part of government efforts to sanitise the political space ahead of future elections.
