Ebonyi State Governor Francis Nwifuru has told newly inaugurated local government chairmen that their continued political survival would depend on the All Progressives Congress performing strongly in their councils during the 2027 elections.
Speaking at the swearing-in of council heads, Nwifuru said chairmen who failed to deliver their local governments politically could be removed.
The governor’s comments, captured in videos circulating online, have attracted criticism because they appeared to link public office tenure directly to partisan electoral performance.
Nwifuru openly urged council officials to ensure the APC won all available positions in their areas.
He also told them to confront political actors seeking to undermine the ruling party.
Some of his language, including an instruction to “deal with” opponents “mercilessly,” has raised concerns about the tone of political mobilization.
The governor also warned opposition figures that what they currently described as threats would intensify once formal campaigning began.
Those remarks have further increased political tension in the state.
Nwifuru maintained that he was speaking as a politician and had a right to mobilize support for his party.
He also warned against disloyalty within the APC and accused some party members of acting as informants for rival political interests.
Shortly after the governor’s remarks, newly inaugurated Ohaukwu Local Government Chairman Paul Ituma made similarly combative statements.
Ituma warned opposition politicians against operating in the area in ways he considered hostile to the APC and reportedly described critics of the governor as political enemies.
The comments attributed to both officials raise questions about political tolerance, the neutrality expected of public officeholders and the rights of opposition parties to campaign freely.
No independent evidence in the supplied material establishes that threats have been carried out.
The episode nevertheless highlights the risk that increasingly aggressive campaign rhetoric could deepen political tension ahead of the 2027 election.
