By Nkechinyere Ewa
en Okah, Chairman of the Ebonyi State Council of Elders, has declared that Governor Francis Nwifuru has no serious opposition ahead of the 2027 governorship election, describing those presenting themselves as opposition figures as “Facebook politicians” with little presence on the ground.
Okah, who spoke with journalists in Abakaliki on Saturday, urged Ebonyi residents to ignore what he described as attempts by attention seekers and social media content creators to tarnish the image of the governor.
According to him, political campaigns in the past involved politicians physically visiting communities, inspecting projects, attending rallies and engaging directly with the people, unlike what he described as the current trend of social media campaigns.
“It is now very cheap to campaign. You can sit in your house in Lagos and call content creators and Facebook boys and give them money. They will stay in one room in Lagos and create content, create AI pictures for people to look at,” he said.
Okah said the state’s political opposition lacked the local presence and impact required to challenge the governor, insisting that the political reality on the ground was different from what was being portrayed on social media.
“As far as the state is concerned, who is his opposition? Where is the person? Is he residing in this state? What has been his impact in this state?” he asked.
The elder statesman also dismissed criticisms surrounding the state government’s ongoing projects, citing the proposed cement factory as an example. He said he recently visited the site and confirmed the arrival of a team of Chinese professionals working on the project.
Okah explained that the construction of a cement factory was a complex engineering process requiring preliminary studies, including geological and surveying work, before actual installation could commence.
“The people who are here now are, first of all, the geologists. The surveyors are here and their job is for two months. They will be here for two to three months before the actual installation will start,” he said.
He maintained that Ebonyi had enjoyed peace and development under Nwifuru, urging politicians to avoid inflammatory campaigns and focus their arguments on issues that would promote the development of the state.
Okah also dismissed criticism that President Bola Tinubu had not commissioned projects in Ebonyi, saying the state had numerous projects that would be ready for commissioning when the President visits.
“When the President comes to commission Ebonyi projects, I’ve told you, you have strong legs to follow the commissioning process,” he said.
On concerns over the state’s representation in federal government recruitment, Okah acknowledged that Ebonyi remained a developing state and had historically struggled to attract sufficient federal presence.
He, however, said the state was making progress and would continue to work towards closing the gap with other states.
The chairman further urged residents not to allow social media narratives to dictate their perception of the state, insisting that the government’s performance should be assessed based on developments on the ground.
“As far as I’m concerned, the election is concluded and the governor has no opponent,” Okah said.