The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned comments made by Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, in which he reportedly threatened to “consume” and destroy opposition figures in the state.

The party warned that such rhetoric could heighten political tension and undermine democratic participation ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Addressing journalists at the party’s national secretariat, Wadata Plaza, Abuja, yesterday, the PDP described the governor’s remarks as reckless, inflammatory, and unbecoming of a public office holder.

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Jungudo Haruna Mohammed, who presided over the press briefing, accused the governor of resorting to threats and political intimidation in response to what it described as growing public dissatisfaction with his administration.

The PDP said the governor’s recent utterances reflected a leader increasingly troubled by the prospect of electoral rejection in 2027, alleging that his administration had failed to deliver meaningful dividends of democracy to the people of Ebonyi State.

“Instead of engaging in political blackmail, spreading unfounded allegations and threatening to use state resources against the opposition, the governor should devote his energy to explaining to the people of Ebonyi State why, after more than three years in office, his administration struggles to point to projects that have meaningfully impacted the lives of the people,” the party stated.

Meanwhile, Ebonyi State Commissioner for Commerce and Business Development, Oguzor Offia-Nwali, yesterday, debunked the claim by the Association of Ebonyi Indigenes Socio-Cultural in the Diaspora (AEISCID) that Nwifuru does not deserve a second term in office because of poor performance, noting that their claims are misleading and false.

The group, in a circulated media publication, claimed that the governor does not deserve a second term in office, insisting that his administration lacks the performance record required to justify re-election in the 2027 governorship election.

It cited projects such as the Vanco Flyover and Tunnel, ICT University in Oferekpe Agbaja, and civil servants’ staff quarters as failed projects of the state government.

But Oguzor, in a chat with journalists in Abakaliki, described the group as the attack dog of the PDP gubernatorial candidate, Ifeanyi Odii, insisting that their claim that Nwifuru has not recorded significant achievements is not only misleading but grossly inconsistent with realities on the ground across Ebonyi State.