The National President of Ebonyi South Youths Assembly on Friday told the gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2027 general election, Chief Chukwuma Odii to respect the zoning formula and support the second term bid of governor Francis Nwifuru sounding it very clear that Ebonyi South can never produce governor of Ebonyi State with zoning arrangement.

Odii, in a statement in Abakaliki, further told the PDP Guber Candidate to present a clear agenda of what they want to do and stop copying the development agenda of Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru ahead of the 2027 governorship election.

The youths’ president noted that Odii himself knows that he can never be governor under this zoning arrangement, stating zoning arrangement has shaped the state’s political evolution since its creation.

Even the PDP Guber Candidate knows that without doing so, Sen. David Umahi couldn’t have become a governor Ebonyi South would able to produce Sen. David Umahi as governor, and with the Abakaliki bloc that have two Senatorial zones and eight Local Government Areas as against Ebonyi South that has one Senatorial zone and five Local Government Areas will always produce the governor if the zoning arrangement is altered” Odii said

“It is both misleading and historically inaccurate for him to suggest that zoning has never played a significant role in Ebonyi politics. Since the creation of Ebonyi State, the governorship has rotated among the three senatorial zones, thereby promoting equity, fairness, inclusion and peaceful coexistence,” Njoku said.

“Chief Chukwuma Odii knows that he failed the 2023 Governorship election to the incumbent governor because of zoning, and I wonder how he feels that 2027 will be different,” Odii stated.

On coping Nwifuru agenda, the Youth President noted that the opposition figure’s emphasis on human capital development, youth empowerment, skills acquisition, agriculture, technology, healthcare and economic transformation merely echoed programmes already being implemented by the Nwifuru administration.

“It is both ironic and shameful that the same Anyichuks, who have struggled to articulate a distinct vision for Ebonyi, have now resorted to echoing the very development philosophy and people-oriented programmes already being implemented by the administration of Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru.

“His sudden emphasis on human capital development, youth empowerment, skills acquisition, agriculture, technology, healthcare and economic transformation are not fresh ideas. These are policy directions that Governor Nwifuru has already translated from campaign promises into visible projects and measurable achievements across the state,” the group stated.l

The Assembly argued that the similarities between Anyichuks’ proposals and Governor Nwifuru’s policies demonstrated that the governor was setting the pace for governance and development in Ebonyi State.

The youth group further maintained that leadership required constant engagement with the people rather than making political pronouncements from outside the state.

“It is also instructive that while Governor Nwifuru governs from within Ebonyi, interacting daily with the people, Anyichukwu is widely perceived to operate primarily outside the state. Ebonyi deserves a governor who is deeply rooted in the realities, aspirations and daily lives of its people.

“Governance cannot effectively be driven from a distance. Anyone aspiring to lead Ebonyi should first demonstrate sustained commitment to living among the people, understanding their realities and sharing in their aspirations,” the statement added.

The Assembly urged the PDP chieftain to present what it described as original policy alternatives instead of, according to it, repackaging ideas already being pursued by the present administration.

It also faulted Anyichukwu’s criticism of the state government, insisting that Governor Nwifuru’s administration had continued to record achievements in education, healthcare, road infrastructure, youth empowerment, security, agriculture and economic development.

Reaffirming its support for Governor Nwifuru, the group said the governor’s leadership should be assessed on the basis of performance and tangible results rather than political rhetoric.

The Assembly expressed confidence that the people of Ebonyi State would continue to support what it described as purposeful leadership and continuity in governance as preparations gradually begin ahead of the 2027 governorship election.