APC Campaign Storms Ebonyi, Targets 1.2m Votes
•FG has set aside funding for renewable energy projects in eight locations, says Shettima
•We won’t vote for sentiment, say Uzodimma, Umahi, Nwifuru
Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja
The campaign train of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Monday stormed Abakaliki, Ebonyi state capital, with the ruling party targeting 1.2 million votes in the state to renew the mandate of President Bola Tinubu in the January 16 presidential election.
Speaking, Vice President Kashim Shettima said the administration had returned to Ebonyi to give an account of its work and to seek the renewal of its mandate to serve, defend and stand by the people.
He cited the Calabar-Ebonyi-Okigwe-Nasarawa-Abuja Superhighway, the Trans-Saharan Highway, and the bridge linking Ebonyi with Cross River State.
The vice president added that work was advancing on the Enugu-Abakaliki-Ogoja Expressway and the Ogoja-Arochukwu-Cross River Road.
Shettima announced that funding had been set aside for renewable energy projects in eight locations across Ebonyi State to power homes and businesses.
Shettima stated: “We have returned to seek the renewal of your mandate: to serve you, to defend you and to stand by you.
“We have set aside funding for renewable energy projects in eight locations across the state. These investments are intended to power homes and businesses.
“Construction has begun on the renovation of housing estates to give more families decent places to live.
“We know what education means to you. Through NELFUND and TETFund, we are supporting students and educational institutions.”
The vice president noted that thousands of people in the state had benefited from grants under the Presidential Conditional Grants Scheme, while employment and digital skills programmes were helping young people acquire skills and build livelihoods.
Shettima said the security situation in the country had improved since Tinubu became Commander-in-Chief more than three years ago, and that the administration would continue working to restore order.
He pointed to the opening and commencement of operations of the Nigerian Army Recruit Training Depot in Amasiri, Afikpo North, as an example in Ebonyi.
He urged voters to come out en masse on January 16 and on February 6, 2027, to vote for Governor Francis Nwifuru and all APC candidates for the State House of Assembly.
Also, the Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), Senator Abdulaziz Yari said the state has 1.8 million registered voters, with 1.5 million Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) collected at the last count.
His words: “On behalf of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, I am setting my target. My target is a minimum of 1.2 million votes.
“Youths and women, do you agree with this target? Are you ready to give Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu 1.2 million votes in Ebonyi State.
“We are assured that in Ebonyi State, only Tinubu’s party exists. Is that true? Is that not so? In Ebonyi State, only Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s party exists,” he said.
Yari commended the Minister of Works, David Umahi, the state government and stakeholders for mobilising what he described as a mammoth crowd for Tinubu.
Yari recalled that when he and Umahi served as governors, the states struggled to pay salaries and needed bailouts.
According to him, Part of the challenges we faced when we were governors alongside Umahi was the struggle to pay salaries. We struggled. We even needed bailouts before we could pay salaries.
The director general said he had discussed with some governors, one of whom told him he had paid over N50 billion in gratuities to retired workers, while pensions were being paid alongside salaries.
“This is what Bola Tinubu has done for you. He takes care of governors by giving them their entitlements when due, and they, in turn, do the right thing. Gratuities, pensions and workers’ salaries are paid when due, without delay,” Yari said.
On his part, the secretary of the APC presidential campaign council and the Chairman of Progressive Governors Forum, Senator Hope Uzodimma warned that ongoing federal projects in the South-East would stop if Tinubu is not re-elected.
He stated: “Speaker after speaker has said good things about President Bola Tinubu. In the South-East, in the North-Central, in the North-East, in the North-West, in the South-South and South-West.
“But this time around, most of the things the President has done, many of them are completed, many of the projects have not been completed.
“Our responsibility will start from now to go and look for our PVC. That is the weapon, because if Bola Tinubu is not re-elected, all these ongoing projects will stop. So we have to sharpen our weapon, and our weapon is our voter card.
“The day is January 16. The ammunition is your voter’s card. So all of us, young men, young women, mothers, fathers, uncles, brothers, sisters, go and bring their PVC and vote massively. The symbol is the broom. Vote massively for APC.”
Uzodimma reminded supporters that Tinubu’s name would not appear on the ballot paper.
He added: “There is no name on the ballot paper called President Bola Tinubu. What is on the ballot paper is APC, and I invite all of you to vote for APC.”
“If you want all the roads that Governor Umahi has enumerated, the only way those roads can be completed is if we re-elect Bola Tinubu and the only way we can re-elect him is to vote for him en masse.”
The PGF chairman called on voters to reject sentiment and vote on pragmatism, national unity and inclusion.
Uzodimma noted: “The days are gone when we draw our vote to sentiment. We are not voting sentiment. We are voting pragmatism,” he said.
“Let me tell you, we have our enemies. When there is a new presidential election, they will come to Ebonyi. They will tell you, ‘This is your brother. This is your cousin. Vote for him because they want us to be marginalized. This is time to stop marginalization.’”
“The only way to stop marginalization is to come out en masse and vote so that their brothers and sisters will be on the table where national decisions will be taken. So this time around, we are not going to vote for sentiment. We are voting for national unity. We are voting for Nigeria, and we are going to vote for Nigeria where all of us will be included.”
In the same vein, Umahi promised that the state would deliver 1.3 million votes for President Tinubu on January 16.
“We are showing the whole world that Ebonyi State belongs to the APC. We all know there is no NDC or any other party in Ebonyi State,” Umahi said.
The minister listed a series of federal road projects he said would not have been possible without Tinubu.
He cited the Afikpo to Uturu in Abia State and Okigwe in Imo State road, a total distance of 65 kilometres, with a contract sum of N193 billion, which he said is now 40 per cent complete.
“If not for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, nobody would have remembered the road from Afikpo to Uturu in Abia State and Okigwe in Imo State,” he said.
Umahi also listed the third legacy project, covering 123 kilometres from Afikpo at Ndibe Beach, passing through the two local government areas of Izzi Nation and ending at the boundary with Benue State, with a contract sum of N454 billion.
“Who else would have done this for us apart from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu? Do you want the work to be completed?.”
Umahi addressed the identity often used for Ebonyi people, saying the state had chosen Tinubu over sentiment.
“Let me tell you, people of Ebonyi State, you say we are Wawa. Yes, we agree, but na Tinubu we dey follow,” he said.
“You say we are Wawa, Abakaliki. Yes, we accept, na Tinubu we dey follow. We no dey follow any man. We no dey run away from small challenges. We no dey follow sentiments. We are following a man who has remembered the people of Ebonyi, a man who remembers the South-East and has integrated us.”
In his remarks, APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda called for a clean sweep for the APC in both the presidential and governorship elections.
Yilwatda who was represented by Deputy Nation Chairman, South, Ben Nwoye urged Ebonyi voters to vote for the APC “from top to bottom” in the 2027 elections.