No Rift Between Me and Nwifuru, Says Umahi

Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi

From Nabob Ogbonna, Abakaliki

The Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, has insisted that there is no rift between him and Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, dismissing speculations that he is working behind the scenes to undermine the governor’s re-election bid in 2027.

Umahi, who is also the Deputy Director-General, Infrastructure, Mobilisation and Sensitisation, of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu/APC 2027 Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), made the clarification on Sunday in Abakaliki, the state capital.

He spoke during a sensitisation campaign for the people of Ebonyi North and Central Senatorial Districts on the need to support the re-election of President Tinubu, Governor Nwifuru and other candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the forthcoming 2027 general elections.

His clarification came amid speculations in some quarters within and outside the state that the former governor was allegedly working behind the scenes to frustrate Nwifuru’s second-term ambition.

Addressing party stakeholders at the event, Umahi said there was no disagreement between him and the incumbent governor, stressing that the APC, President Tinubu, Governor Nwifuru and other APC governors remained the party’s strongest political assets.

He said, “There is no gap, and there is no case between me and Governor Nwifuru. The reason I called all of you here today is to tell you again that the All Progressives Congress (APC), President Ahmed Tinubu, Governor Nwifuru and other APC governors are the greatest market we have in the party.
“And the message is this: we are supporting Mr President, Governor Nwifuru and all the candidates of the APC in the forthcoming general elections.”

The minister charged party stakeholders to ensure that all APC candidates won their respective polling units during the elections.

He warned that the party would sanction any stakeholder who failed to deliver their polling unit for both President Tinubu and Governor Nwifuru.

The former governor further directed the stakeholders to constitute committees for polling units across the state’s 171 wards to strengthen the party’s grassroots mobilisation and ensure victory for its candidates.

Declaring Ebonyi State firmly in the APC camp, Umahi expressed confidence that Tinubu and Nwifuru would secure overwhelming victories in the 2027 general elections.

“President Bola Tinubu is going to win a second term. Governor Francis Nwifuru is going to win a second term.

“Anyone that does not wish Tinubu and Nwifuru second terms, may he not have a second term in his life. The style of our campaign this time is going to be very dynamic,” he stated.

In his remarks, a traditional ruler, Sunday Oketa, assured the minister that Ebonyi State would deliver all APC candidates in the 2027 general elections.