The Ebonyi State chapter of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) weekend endorsed Governor Francis Nwifuru as their Governorship candidate ahead of next year general election saying that the endorsement was due to the performance of the government in last three years.

The party made the endorsement in Abakaliki during the inauguration of the Chipping Sellers Movement in Ebonyi North Senatorial District charged it members to mobilize support for governor Francis Nwifuru and other APGA candidates across the state from Senate down to House of Assembly.

The mobilisation drive according to the party will feature intensified efforts aimed at galvanizing support for APGA candidates and work towards Nwifuru’s return to office for a second term attracted party stakeholders, political candidates, traders and members of the movement, who were urged to strengthen their grassroots structures and engage voters ahead of the elections.

Speaking at the event, the APGA State Chairman, Chukwudi Nwankwo, underscored the importance of sustained grassroots mobilisation, effective coordination and voter engagement in the party’s preparations for the forthcoming elections.

Nwankwo urged party faithful and supporters to concentrate on communicating their candidates’ programmes to the electorate, stressing that electoral success required organisational discipline, strategic engagement and commitment at the ward, local government and state levels.

He also called on members to embrace peaceful political participation, avoid inflammatory rhetoric and respect the rights of supporters of other political parties.

The chairman maintained that constructive engagement with voters and issue-based campaigning should form the foundation of the party’s mobilisation efforts.

Speaking, APGA senatorial candidate for Ebonyi North and national leader of the Chipping Sellers Movement,
High Chief Chikaodili Ojimba, called on members to intensify their mobilisation activities in support of the party’s candidates and Nwifuru’s re-election bid.

Ojimba said the movement intended to extend its activities to Ebonyi Central and Ebonyi South, with the aim of broadening its organisational reach across the state.

Ojimba will be facing the All Progressives Congress APC candidate and current Deputy Chief Whip Sen. Onyekachi Nwebonyi in next year general election while many political observers agreed it will be one of the keenly contested senatorial seat in the history of the state.

But Governor Francis Nwifuru had during the Ojiji festival of the Izzi new yam made it clear that the candidate for his party APC is Sen. Onyekachi Nwebonyi urging his Izzi people to vote for him and all the party candidates throughout the state.

He identified the movement’s two principal objectives as supporting APGA candidates in the 2027 general elections and backing the governor’s re-election ambition.

The senatorial candidate advocated peaceful consultations and campaigns, insisting that political disagreements should not degenerate into insults, intimidation or violence.

He also charged the movement’s leadership to embrace inclusive administration, listen to members’ concerns and address grievances with fairness and understanding.

Ojimba urged the leadership to sustain the organisation’s community-oriented activities beyond electioneering, particularly in the areas of welfare, educational assistance and support for vulnerable members.

Earlier, Barrister Tochukwu Ogalagu, popularly known as T-Man, the APGA candidate for Ebonyi/Ohaukwu Federal Constituency, urged members of the movement to intensify their mobilisation efforts and work towards the success of the party’s candidates.

Ogalagu emphasized the need for effective grassroots communication, voter education and organisational discipline, urging members to educate the electorate on the voting process and the identification of candidates through their party symbols on the ballot.

He also cautioned against misinformation and called on supporters to remain committed to peaceful political engagement.

The federal constituency candidate commended the movement’s leadership for its mobilisation initiative, describing organised grassroots engagement as an important component of electioneering strategies.

In his remarks, the National President of the Chipping Sellers Movement, Chief Joseph Emeka Nwobiya, said the organisation was established primarily as a foundation and non-governmental initiative focused on assisting people through educational and other support programmes.

Nwobiya disclosed that the foundation had awarded scholarships to 150 beneficiaries to study at universities of their choice, adding that the movement had resolved to support Ojimba’s senatorial ambition in 2027.

He urged voters in Ebonyi North to assess candidates based on their records of service, accessibility and commitment to the welfare of their constituents.

According to him, elected representatives should maintain close relationships with the electorate and remain responsive to their needs beyond election periods.

Nwobiya said the movement would continue to promote peaceful political participation and grassroots engagement as it expanded its activities across the three senatorial districts.

Our Correspondent reports that the inauguration marked part of the movement’s planned expansion beyond Ebonyi North, with further activities expected in Ebonyi Central and Ebonyi South as political parties and candidates intensify preparations for the 2027 general elections.