The leadership of Students’ Union Governments (SUGs) across tertiary institutions in Ebonyi State and the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Ebonyi State Axis weekend denied endorsement of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Chief Chukwuma Ifeanyi Odii, ahead of the 2027 governorship election as being circulated in social media insisting that purported endorsement didn’t emanate from them.

In a communiqué which Saturday Guardian obtained a copy in Abakaliki was signed by NANS Senate President, Comrade Ibeabuchi Moses Onyia; Chairman of the Ebonyi NANS Stakeholders’ Forum, Comrade Okoro Offor Joshua; Deputy Majority Leader of the Nigerian Youth Parliament, Dr Olisa Alfred Nwuruku; and several SUG presidents representing tertiary institutions across the state.

They noted that they would have ignored the purported endorsement but for avoidance of doubt and to put the record straight, the said that the purported endorsement didn’t came from them insisting they respect the principle of equity and power rotation among the state’s three senatorial zones.

The student leaders said no individual or group had the authority to present Odii as the preferred candidate of Ebonyi students without the approval of duly recognised student representatives, warning against the appropriation of the collective voice of the student community for partisan political purposes.

They also reaffirmed their commitment to equitable political representation among Ebonyi North, Ebonyi Central and Ebonyi South Senatorial Districts, describing zoning and rotation as important considerations for sustaining political stability, mutual trust and peaceful coexistence in the state.

Further dismissing the endorsement, the student leaders maintained that individual political preferences should not be misrepresented as a collective resolution of Ebonyi students.

“Accordingly, we reject and disown any purported endorsement of Mr Chukwuma Ifeanyi Odii presented as the collective position of Ebonyi State students, having found no established merit or duly demonstrated mandate upon which such endorsement can be founded,” the communiqué stated.

The signatories further argued that any decision communicated in the name of the state’s student community must be backed by a legitimate mandate and an established decision-making process.

On the question of power rotation, the student leaders urged political actors to give due consideration to the historical understanding surrounding the distribution of the governorship among the three senatorial zones.

They acknowledged that zoning and rotation were political arrangements rather than express constitutional requirements but maintained that the principle of equitable inclusion remained significant to the state’s political development.

“The principle of equity requires more than the formal recognition of the three senatorial zones. It requires a continuing willingness to respect legitimate expectations, encourage peaceful transitions and avoid political practices that could deepen feelings of exclusion or undermine public confidence in the State’s political arrangements,” the communiqué stated.

The student representatives warned that disregard for established political understandings could deepen perceptions of marginalisation and weaken confidence among the constituent zones.

They called on political stakeholders to approach the 2027 governorship contest with restraint and a commitment to fairness, insisting that the pursuit of political ambition should not override the broader interest of peaceful coexistence.

The communiqué, however, clarified that zoning and rotation were political understandings whose significance lay in promoting fairness, mutual accommodation and a sense of belonging among the people of Ebonyi State.

Beyond the zoning controversy, the student leaders commended the administration of Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru for its reported interventions in education, including postgraduate scholarships, bursary assistance, increased funding for tertiary institutions, staff welfare measures and infrastructure development.

They cited the reported sponsorship of 300 Ebonyi graduates for postgraduate studies in universities in the United Kingdom and more than 700 beneficiaries enrolled in postgraduate programmes in Nigerian universities.

The communiqué also referenced increased subvention to Ebonyi State University, scholarship opportunities for outstanding graduates, tuition-fee reductions and the reported declaration of automatic employment for Ebonyi indigenes who graduate with First Class honours.

According to the student leaders, sustaining such initiatives is in the interest of students and the broader development of the state.

They consequently passed a vote of confidence in Nwifuru and reaffirmed their previously adopted position endorsing him as their preferred candidate for the 2027 governorship election.

The student representatives said they would mobilise support for the governor through the electoral process, linking their decision to the need for continuity in educational policies and programmes.