By our Reporters
A call for sharper public scrutiny of those seeking Ebonyi’s top office has drawn a response from the state’s main opposition party, which says the best test of leadership is the work that can still be seen across the state.
The call came during a dialogue organised by the Centre for Media and Dialogue Initiative (CMDI) at Monabliss Hotels and Suites, Abakaliki, under the theme “Beyond the Manifesto: Ebonyi 2027 Election and the People’s Interrogation of Next Leadership.” Programme Director Eze Chikodiri Igwe described the event as a neutral meeting ground where voters could ask hard questions about plans, costs, and accountability. Comrade Uchenna Inya, who heads the NUJ Correspondents’ Chapel, said journalists would keep the focus on facts, while Mrs Esther Idam of INEC reminded residents to secure their voter cards, treat social media claims with caution and steer clear of violence.
Representing the State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Publicity Secretary said his party was ready for any examination because Ebonyi’s story of progress had already been told in concrete, tar and steel. He pointed first to Dr. Sam Egwu, whom he credited with championing mandatory free schooling and building the capacity of the state’s people alongside its infrastructure. Chief Martin Elechi, he said, then linked communities with the Unity Bridges, refreshed the look of towns, pushed roads into farming areas, and promoted an economy driven by knowledge. By his account, Chief Dave Umahi raised the state’s profile further through flyovers, durable roads, public utilities, orderly surroundings, and a dependable waste management system.
“Ask any Ebonyi resident where the state moved forward, and the answer will point to a PDP project,” he said, inviting voters to apply that yardstick to all contenders.
He said the party wanted to restore that momentum, and introduced its governorship candidate, Amb. Dr. Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii, as fully prepared, well equipped and empowered to lead a new economy built on industrial growth, a broader base of income sources and progress across every sector.
Delegates of the Labour Party, the ADC and the PDP, and several other political parties were among those who took part in discussions on the leadership Ebonyi needs.
