The National President of the Ebonyi South Youths Assembly, Comrade Odii Njoku, has told the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Chief Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii, that Governor Francis Nwifuru will defeat him again in the 2027 governorship election, as he did in 2023.

The youth group was reacting to a statement attributed to Odii in which he reportedly promised to fix Ebonyi State within one year if elected governor in 2027.

In a statement issued in Abakaliki on Friday, Njoku said Odii should understand that the political dynamics that produced Nwifuru’s victory in 2023 had not changed and would likely influence the 2027 election.

“Since you fail to understand the political realities of Ebonyi State, the same political dynamics that produced Nwifuru in the 2023 election, which have not disappeared, will still play out in 2027,” Njoku said.

He described what he termed excessive political spending and overconfidence by Odii ahead of the 2027 governorship election as wasteful, urging the PDP candidate to be guided by the outcome of the 2023 poll.

Njoku argued that Odii’s promise to fix the state within one year if elected was a weak campaign point, stressing that political victories could not be secured through financial resources alone.

He said Odii was entitled to demand a peaceful and credible electoral environment but argued that security agencies should not be used as a substitute for political organisation, grassroots acceptance and electoral competitiveness.
According to him, “Politics is not a betting game,” adding that electoral victories are determined by a combination of popularity, organisation, political structure, credibility, alliances and a candidate’s ability to connect with voters across the state.

He advised Odii to focus on building a sustainable political structure rather than assuming that financial resources alone could translate into electoral victory.

Njoku also questioned what he described as an attempt to frame the 2027 contest primarily as a battle between personal wealth and incumbency, arguing that political office could not simply be acquired through financial expenditure.

He said the governorship of Ebonyi State remained subject to the constitutional electoral process and the decision of the electorate, adding that candidates must demonstrate broad political acceptability beyond their immediate political constituencies.

On Odii’s reference to his private-sector philanthropy and personal interventions, Njoku acknowledged such contributions as part of public service but maintained that philanthropy and governance were different responsibilities requiring different institutional capacities.

“Philanthropy and governance are not the same thing. The people must be allowed to assess records, policies, programmes and the capacity to manage public institutions,” he said.

He urged political actors to subject their claims to public scrutiny and allow voters to compare their records, policies, programmes and measurable accomplishments.

Njoku further argued that the political history of Ebonyi State had made zoning and rotation important considerations in the distribution of elective offices, particularly the governorship.

He maintained that the emergence of governors from different senatorial zones had historically reflected an understanding of political inclusion and rotation among the state’s three senatorial districts