By Mark Aba
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called on the people of Ebonyi State to support his re-election bid in 2027, highlighting ongoing federal infrastructure projects and development programmes as evidence of his administration’s commitment to the South-East.
Tinubu, represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign rally in Ebonyi State on Monday, said his administration was implementing projects across key sectors, including road infrastructure, housing, renewable energy, education, security and youth empowerment.
He said the administration was seeking a renewed mandate on the strength of its performance and commitment to delivering on promises made to Nigerians.
He identified the Calabar-Ebonyi-Okigwe-Nasarawa-Abuja Superhighway, the Trans-Saharan Highway and the bridge linking Ebonyi State with Cross River State as some of the major road projects being undertaken by the Federal Government.
He also disclosed that the government had commenced the renovation of housing estates as part of efforts to improve access to decent and affordable accommodation.
On education, the Vice President highlighted the contributions of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), noting that students and educational institutions in Ebonyi State were benefiting from the programmes.
He further noted that thousands of residents had benefited from grants under the Presidential Conditional Grants Scheme, while federal employment initiatives and digital skills programmes were creating opportunities for young Nigerians.
Shettima also listed the establishment of the South-East Development Commission, the launch of the South-East Vision 2050 and the approval of the South-East Investment Company as key federal interventions designed to accelerate development in the region.
According to him, the initiatives are aimed at expanding economic opportunities, promoting regional development and addressing the link between security and economic livelihoods.
The Vice President commended the working relationship between the Ebonyi State Government and the state’s three senators, seven members of the House of Representatives and lawmakers in the State House of Assembly.
He described the cooperation between the Federal Government and the state government as a demonstration of their shared commitment to development.
Shettima urged APC supporters to participate actively in the forthcoming elections and support the party’s candidates at both federal and state levels.
Meanwhile, the Director-General of the Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), Senator Abdulaziz Yari, has set a target of 1.2 million votes for President Tinubu in Ebonyi State ahead of the January 16, 2027 presidential election.
Addressing the rally, Yari, a former governor of Zamfara State, said Ebonyi had approximately 1.8 million registered voters, with about 1.5 million Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) collected.
He challenged political leaders, youths and women in the state to intensify grassroots mobilisation to achieve the target.
“Your Excellency, sir, on behalf of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, I am setting my target. My target is a minimum of 1.2 million votes,” Yari declared.
Describing Ebonyi as an APC state, Yari attributed his confidence in the party’s mobilisation efforts partly to Tinubu’s appointment of David Umahi as Minister of Works, which he said reflected the President’s commitment to Ebonyi and the wider South-East region.
Also speaking, the APC National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, called on the people of Ebonyi to support the party in the 2027 general elections.
Yilwatda, who was represented by the party’s National Vice Chairman, South-East, Ben Nwoye, identified the establishment of the South-East Development Commission and the student loan scheme as major initiatives of the Tinubu administration.
He urged voters to support APC candidates across all elective positions, advocating an overall victory for the party in the forthcoming elections.
Nwoye described the South-East Development Commission as an important federal intervention aimed at addressing the region’s development challenges.
He also explained that the student loan scheme was designed to expand access to higher education by enabling students to pursue their academic ambitions without immediate burden of tuition financing.
The APC leadership urged voters to support the party in the January 16 and February 6, 2027 elections, reiterating its campaign slogan, “APC from top to bottom.”
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