Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, has described Saturday’s local government elections across the state as a democratic exercise that should not be treated as a war, saying the process is about allowing the people to freely choose their leaders.
Nwifuru spoke with journalists after casting his vote during the election.
The governor said there was no need for undue anxiety over the exercise, insisting that candidates were selected by the people and their respective political parties.
“It is the will of the people. You don’t need security when people are choosing candidates in an election,” he said.
“I did not select the candidates; it is the people who selected them, while the political parties also selected their candidates.
“The process is ongoing. It is not a war; it is an election. That is why I believe we don’t need to stress ourselves over voting for a candidate of our choice to become our leader.”
Nwifuru said the essence of the election was to give the electorate the opportunity to choose those they wanted to govern them at the grassroots.
He expressed confidence in the candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC), saying he wished the party victory in the election.
“Whether or not our party will win the election, my wish is for our party to win. I am a party man, and I believe in my party and all its candidates. I believe they have what it takes to occupy the positions they are contesting for,” he said.
The governor, however, said political opposition was important in a democracy, noting that opponents could help expose the shortcomings of those in government and point out areas requiring improvement.
“When you have opponents, it is not only about competition. They can also show you things you don’t know. Sometimes, you need opponents because they can expose your shortcomings and areas where you need to improve. So, having an opponent is also good,” Nwifuru said.
He said that although, as the leader of the APC in Ebonyi, he considered himself to have no opponent, he expected other political parties to field credible candidates capable of challenging his party.
Nwifuru also rejected the idea of seeking endorsements from other political parties ahead of the 2027 general election, saying what he wanted was the endorsement of the people of Ebonyi State.
“I don’t want political parties to endorse me. What I want is for the people of Ebonyi to endorse me. That has always been my position. I have been appealing to the people to endorse me, not political parties,” he said.
The governor also cautioned against judging people based on their physical appearance or dressing, saying people’s appearance did not necessarily reflect their mindset or character.
Meanwhile, the Ebonyi State Chairman of the APC, Stanley Okoro-Emegha, said the party had monitored the election in several locations and observed what he described as a large turnout of voters.
Okoro-Emegha spoke at his polling unit in Edda Local Government Area after casting his vote and monitoring the exercise.
He said he had moved around the local government to observe the conduct of the election, adding that the turnout in several areas was encouraging.
The APC chairman, however, said some challenges were recorded, particularly regarding registration and the documents required by voters to participate in the election.
According to him, some people who had registered were unable to vote because they did not have the required documents.
He said the party had continued to encourage its supporters to participate peacefully in the electoral process.
Okoro-Emegha also said the APC’s campaign strategy was focused on grassroots mobilisation and issues rather than what he described as social media-driven campaigns designed merely to create noise.
He said the party was interested in taking its campaign to the people and encouraging journalists to remain committed to their profession.
“We are now out to show a campaign that is based on issues,” he said.
“It is a campaign to be on the ground.”
He said the APC had also adopted what he described as a campaign of voluntarism rather than negative reactions.
“We are conducting a campaign of voluntarism and not a campaign of negative reactions,” Okoro-Emegha said.
The APC chairman said the turnout recorded in areas he visited showed that the people were interested in participating in the democratic process.
He said the party would continue to engage with the people at the grassroots while monitoring the election across the state.
Ebonyi LG elections peaceful – Nwifuru