By CHARLES IWUOHA

The main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in the 2027 Ebonyi State election, Chief Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii, has said that Governor Francis Nwifuru has not done enough to merit a second term in office.

Odii made the claim on Monday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme, where he outlined his assessment of the Nwifuru administration and his plans for Ebonyi ahead of the 2027 governorship election.

The PDP candidate said the performance of an incumbent should be judged by measurable improvements in the lives of residents, arguing that projects and government spending must be connected to the immediate economic and social needs of the people.

According to him, Ebonyi remains one of Nigeria’s poorest states and should therefore prioritise poverty reduction, human-capital development, employment creation and investment in productive sectors.

“I don’t really think he has done much. And that’s the truth,” Odii said when asked whether he believed Nwifuru had done enough for the people.

He argued that the governor should be able to demonstrate his achievements through projects that have a direct impact on residents.

Odii also questioned the administration’s emphasis on major infrastructure, including the state airport and flyovers, saying he would have prioritised agriculture, rural roads, industrialisation and human-capital development.

“If you ask me, I would say no, we don’t need it now,” he said of the airport, while also questioning the need for what he described as a large number of flyovers in a state with relatively low vehicular traffic.

He said his proposed administration would instead make agriculture a major driver of the state economy, citing Ebonyi’s production of rice, cassava, yam and other crops.

Odii promised to improve rural road networks, mechanise farming, provide training and support for farmers, and introduce policies designed to attract private-sector investment into the state.

He also said his administration would focus on creating an environment where investors could establish businesses, arguing that Ebonyi needs industries capable of creating jobs and expanding its internally generated revenue.

‘Education will be priority’

The PDP candidate said education would be another major pillar of his proposed government.

He promised free scholarships and improved learning environments, saying every child born in Ebonyi should have access to education.

Odii also proposed the creation of a ministry dedicated to senior citizens and ageing, with responsibility for healthcare and welfare programmes across the state’s 13 local government areas.

He said his administration would establish skills-acquisition centres to tackle youth unemployment, with training in areas including carpentry, tailoring, POP installation, agriculture, fishery, animal husbandry and other trades.

According to him, the proposed centres would accommodate thousands of young people and equip them with skills to become economically productive.

Criticises infrastructure priorities

Odii acknowledged that successive administrations had contributed to Ebonyi’s infrastructural development but questioned whether some of the projects being pursued by the current and previous governments represented the state’s most pressing needs.

He described some projects as “white elephant projects” where, in his view, the connection between expenditure and immediate human needs was insufficient.

He said his approach would be to prioritise projects capable of generating employment, reducing poverty and expanding the state’s economic base.

The PDP candidate also pointed to his private philanthropic activities, including education, healthcare outreach, housing and skills development, as evidence of the approach he intends to bring into governance.

He argued that private-sector experience could provide useful leadership skills for public administration, urging more technocrats and business people to participate in politics.

Rainbow Coalition

On the emerging Rainbow Coalition and its possible implications for the 2027 elections, Odii said he remained a PDP member but acknowledged the influence of former Rivers State governor and current FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, whom he described as a national leader of the PDP.

Odii said he was awaiting further clarification from the party leadership on how the coalition would operate, but maintained that political alliances could produce different outcomes across states.

He also argued that Nigerian politics was increasingly becoming centred on individual candidates and their records, even though candidates contest elections under political-party platforms.

Odii contested the suggestion that PDP’s internal disagreements remained unresolved, saying the party’s earlier challenges had been addressed and that its candidates had been processed through the electoral system.

‘We will rescue Ebonyi’

The PDP candidate said his campaign was based on what he described as a “rescue mission” for Ebonyi, with poverty reduction and economic development at the centre of his agenda.

He said the state’s agricultural and mineral resources could provide the foundation for a stronger economy if properly developed and linked to investment, infrastructure and job creation.

Odii also promised measures to tackle child labour and the movement of children from Ebonyi communities into exploitative domestic work.

He said skills-acquisition programmes across the state would provide young people with alternatives to unemployment and reduce their vulnerability to exploitation and political violence.

Odii lost the 2023 Ebonyi governorship election to Nwifuru; contemporary reporting recorded Nwifuru with 199,131 votes and Odii with 80,191 votes.

The latest exchange comes as political debate intensifies in Ebonyi ahead of the 2027 governorship election, with supporters of Nwifuru highlighting his administration’s projects while opposition voices, including Odii, are challenging the government’s record and priorities.

Recent criticism from other political voices has similarly focused on whether the administration’s projects have translated sufficiently into broader economic benefits.