2023: Ebonyi Youth Denies Endorsing Nwifuru
By Beverly Ehia,
Abakaliki
Youth group known as Unwu-Ekumenyi Youth Movement has distanced themselves from the said endorsement of Mr. Francis Nwifuru, the Ebonyi state governorship candidate of the All Progressive Congress(APC).
In a statement signed by the President General of the group
Samchi Mgbada and the Secretary, Egwu Anosike Solomon, noted that the said group that tentatively endorse Nwifuru are members of the ruling APC in the state.
The statement reads “It
has come to the knowledge of the Umu-Ekumenyi Youth Movement, a meeting convened by some leaders and stakeholders of Ezza Ezekuna scheduled to take place today, Sunday, September 4th, 2022 at the sacred Nchionu, Okpoku Ezekuna ancestral home in Onueke, the Ezza South Local Government headquarters.
“This group, which translates to the descendants of Ekumenyi consisting more than two-thirds of the population of Ebonyi State drawn from the Central and Northern Senatorial districts; and part of Ebonyi South district(Onicha and Ivo Local government Areas) where they live in their reasonable numbers, authoritatively learned that the chief aim of the gathering by the elders who are all members of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC Ebonyi State of Ezza Ezekuna origin and their ennoblers is to endorse and adopt as their own choice, the disputed candidate of the Party for the 2023 Governorship election and Speaker of Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Francis Nwifuru.
“Whereas, as ‘loyal’ party elders, leaders, and members, the ‘factional’ APC apologists who are mainly from the two mother Local governments of Ezza North and South are at liberty to choose, endorse or support any candidate of their choice for the 2023 elections, this group gravely frowns at the desperation of the Ebonyi APC to drag the entire Ezza nation into such partisanship at this time in its history.
“As a group comprised of reasonable and responsible youths of the great Ezza Ezekuna nation, we wish to clarify and posit for the sake of our envisioned posterity, rational equity, and good conscience as follows:
“That this action is ill-motivated as we believe it is only meant to cause division, and disunity and perhaps disrupt the existing peace and harmony between and among great Ezza Ezekuna’s sons and daughters as they are all members of different political parties.
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“That we consider this action as a desecration of our sacred Nchionu Okpoku Ezekuna ancestral home were only decisions that border on the welfare and wellbeing of great Ezza Ezekuna sons and daughters worldwide are discussed and agreed upon only by “umu Ochimkpurus” (elders who such honor and privilege are bestowed upon) and who are divinely appointed or ordained for that purpose.
“That the said APC irredentists disguised as ‘leaders of Ezza Ezekuna’, are led by Hon. Innocent Ugo Chima- a one-time House of Representatives member and a serving Chairman of the Governing Board, Federal Polytechnic, Bida, Niger State appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari. Most of the other leaders involved in this charade specially targeted at causing disaffection among the Pizzas are equally holding one appointment or the other either at the Federal or State level under the ruling APC.
Some others are even bearing the tickets of the same APC for various elective offices ahead of the 2023 general elections.
“That as youths, we rather advise these APC elders and followers who should have known better, the implications of their misguided actions and conducts to adopt any candidate they choose without dragging the good people of Ezza nation, their ancestors, and lovers into the mud of their shameful racketeer called an endorsement.
“That we would not, we repeat, we will never sit idly and watch our elders many of who are in the departure lounge of their political careers, derail our culture, traditions, and customs, thereby making a mockery of our ancestors all in the name of their selfish politics for self-aggrandizement”.
