By CHARLES IWUOHA

A group in Ebonyi State, 'Anyi Ga Emeya', has said that the name Ebonyi south Youth Assembly does not exist in the state, while faulting the "4 plus 4" power rotation in the state governorship slot among the three zones.

The group also declared that the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Ifeanyichukwuma Odii, possesses all it required to govern Ebonyi state in terms of capacity, vision to bring accelerated development to the state.

The group's five coordinators include; Orji Oko Akanu, Edda Local Government; Pascal Okochi, Afikpo LGA; Chukwuemeka Ijeh, Ivo LGA; Okereke Ndubuisi, Ohaozara LGA; and Successful David, Onicha LGA, re-affirmed the support of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) to ensure the victory of Chief Ifeanyichukwuma Odii in 2027 general election.

“Anyichuks has the capacity to lead the state. Anyone supporting him is someone who has seen the future of Ebonyi State. It’s only Anyichuks that can cause a turnaround in the State and make it the Ebonyi of our dreams,” the statement said.

The group noted that Odii has used his personal resources to touch lives positively, built projects and empower youths and women across the state.

“Someone who has used his personal money to touch lives, built projects, empower people, both youth and women. When he becomes governor, he will do more,” it added.

They urged youths, women and political leaders to shun clannish politics and sentiment, and focus on improving on the lives of Ebonyi people.

“We want to encourage everybody, both the youth, the women, and the stakeholders, to shun clannish politics and the politics of sentiment. Look beyond that and look at the betterment of Ebonyi state and its citizens. It’s only Anyichuks, at this point in time, that can take Ebonyi to the global map,” the group said.

On project commissioning, the group further disclosed that Odii routinely commissions private pet projects including churches, houses and school buildings he built for people. It added that beneficiaries of agricultural training and other skill acquisition programmes would soon be empowered.

“From time to time, he keeps commissioning churches, houses, school buildings that he built for people using his personal resources. And even those he sent for agricultural training and all that, for skill acquisition will soon be empowered any moment from now, and other empowerment programmes are already outlined,” the statement noted.

The group warned Ebonyi youths not to be deceived by the '4 plus 4' mantra, insisting that the people voted for development, not tenure.

“Nobody should be deceived by the mantra of '4 plus 4' deceit. '4 plus 4' is not what we voted for. We voted for better Ebonyi. We voted for more infrastructure. We voted for more development,” it said.

“There is nothing like Ebonyi South Youth Assembly. There are a few elements of distraction that gathered themselves somewhere to say that they are Ebonyi South Youth Forum. If there are, they should come out for a debate to defend what they are saying,” the group declared.

The group in their statement recalled that in the history of gubernatorial contest in Ebonyi State, Ogbonnaya Onu, Martin Elechi and David Umahi had all vied to be governor under different political arrangements, where notable people contested against them from other zones.

Recall that Ebonyi South Youth Assembly had called on PDP's 2027 governorship candidate in Ebonyi State, Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii, to jettisoned his ambition of contesting the election, insisting that such a move would violate the state's long-standing power rotation arrangements.

The group, which represents youths from Afikpo, Edda, Ohaozara, Ivo and Onicha local government areas, made its position known in a statement signed by its National President, Comrade Odii Njoku.

According to Njoku, the political stability enjoyed in the state since its creation has largely been sustained by adherence to the principle of equity, fairness and justice, particularly the unwritten agreement on rotational leadership among the three senatorial zones.

The group therefore urged residents of Ebonyi South to reject Anyichuks' governorship ambition and instead unite behind Governor Nwifuru. Njoku further cautioned that politicians and voters from the zone who support Odii's alleged 2027 governorship project risk political isolation, adding that preserving equity, justice and fairness remains the surest path to peace and stability in Ebonyi State.

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