Nkechinyere Ewa
Stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State have expressed confidence in the party’s chairmanship candidate, Engr. Osborn Nweze Umahi, describing him as a young and capable leader who would provide credible and effective leadership if elected in the forthcoming local government election.
The stakeholders spoke during the APC campaign and flag presentation ceremony in Ohaozara, where they rallied support for Osborn and expressed optimism that he would build on the leadership legacy of his father, the Minister of Works and former Governor of Ebonyi State, Engr. David Umahi.
The Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development, Engr. Francis Ori, said Osborn had the capacity and competence required to lead the council, assuring that stakeholders would provide him with the necessary support to succeed.
“I know what he is capable of doing and I am very sure that he already has a package for us as a people. As a stakeholder, I will support him in whichever way he needs our support,” Ori said.
The commissioner expressed confidence that Osborn would emerge victorious at the poll, describing his expected victory as decisive.
Also speaking, Mr. Onyabo Ngene said the present administration of Governor Francis Nwifuru was a continuation of the foundation laid by the previous administration under David Umahi.
Ngene commended Governor Nwifuru for his performance and expressed confidence that he would be re-elected in 2027.
He described Osborn as a well-educated young man with international experience, saying his entry into local government politics represented the kind of youth participation needed in Nigeria.
According to him, Osborn’s upbringing under his father had exposed him to leadership and governance, expressing confidence that he would sustain and even surpass his father’s achievements.
“I have no doubt in my mind that he will stay in the family. That DNA or gene will continue with the son. The dream of every father is for his son to surpass him,” Ngene said.
He expressed optimism that Osborn’s political journey could progress from the local government level to higher political offices, pledging to support him in achieving his ambitions.
Similarly, a former coordinator and former member of the Local Government Service Commission, Hon. Abel Nwafor, said Osborn’s upbringing under his father had equipped him with the leadership qualities required to govern the council effectively.
Nwafor, who used the popular expression that “a lion cannot produce a goat,” said Osborn, as the first son of the former governor and current Minister of Works, had learned valuable lessons in leadership from his father.
He expressed confidence that the younger Umahi would demonstrate the courage, capacity and commitment to development associated with his father’s leadership.
In his remarks, the APC Coordinator for Ohaozara West, Onu Njoku, described Ohaozara as an APC stronghold and dismissed the perceived strength of opposition parties in the area.
Njoku said the people of Ohaozara would demonstrate their loyalty to the party through their votes, stressing that the electorate would ultimately determine the outcome of the election at the polling units.
The Coordinator of Ohaozara Development Centre, Hon. Nwabueze Obasi Edward, commended Governor Nwifuru for creating opportunities for young people to participate actively in governance.
He said youth participation in leadership and government appointments had strengthened democracy at the grassroots and helped reduce youth restiveness, thuggery and other social vices by providing young people with meaningful engagements.
Other stakeholders, including the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Grace Umezurike; Princess Nkechinyere Iyioku; Commissioner for Agriculture, Hon. Uzoh Tochukwu; Commissioner for ICT, Hon. Godwin Chukwu; and APC Zonal Chairman, Comrade Nasir Ernest Nweze, also expressed support for the APC candidate.
They commended Governor Nwifuru and Minister David Umahi, assuring the party leadership that Ohaozara would remain an “impenetrable APC stronghold.”
Receiving the party’s flag, Osborn Umahi thanked Governor Nwifuru, the APC leadership and the people of Ohaozara for their support.
He promised a new era of rapid development and effective governance, assuring the people that he would hit the ground running immediately after his inauguration on September 1, 2026, if elected.
The APC campaign is expected to focus on translating the support of party stakeholders into votes and, ultimately, a development-oriented administration for Ohaozara.