Ebonyi Denies Wike Rift As Governor’s Remarks Spark Reactions

(Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru. Photo by TheCable)

The Ebonyi State Government has dismissed claims of a rift between Governor Francis Nwifuru and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

The state government also accused factions within the Peoples Democratic Party of distorting the governor's remarks in order to create unnecessary tension between the two leaders.

The state's Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Ikeuwa Omebeh, offered the clarification in a statement issued on Tuesday.

According to him, Governor Nwifuru never issued any threat against the FCT minister during a grand endorsement rally for President Bola Tinubu and other APC candidates held on June 15 at the Pa Ngele Oruta Township Stadium in Abakaliki.

Omebeh said the governor, in his speech at the event, only cautioned some opposition elements who are fanning the embers of crisis in the state and spreading fake news and propaganda in Wike's name to desist from such acts.

He explained that the governor's use of the word "consume" during the rally was metaphorical, stressing that it referred to those who chose to violate the law despite repeated warnings, describing the term as a figurative expression indicating that individuals operating outside the law would face its full consequences if they failed to retrace their steps.

Omebeh maintained that Nwifuru and Wike enjoy a cordial relationship built on mutual respect, insisting that attempts by PDP factions and paid media hirelings to create the impression of a feud between the two men would not succeed.

He urged the PDP to focus on resolving its internal challenges rather than criticising the Ebonyi State Government, arguing that a party unable to resolve its internal crisis for years lacks the moral standing to comment on governance matters.

The commissioner also claimed that PDP factions in Ebonyi were almost non-existent and posed no threat to the ruling All Progressives Congress ahead of the 2027 general elections, warning that individuals spreading false information and propaganda against the state government should be prepared to face the consequences of the law.

Omebeh's statement followed reactions to remarks made by Governor Nwifuru during the endorsement rally, where he alleged that some persons claiming to be allies of Wike had been telling people that President Tinubu had handed Ebonyi State over to the PDP.

The governor had said some people were going around claiming they had discussed with President Tinubu and that the president had given Ebonyi to the PDP, alleging that they described Wike as their leader who said the president had handed the state to him, a claim he dismissed with derision.

Nwifuru also vowed that Ebonyi would remain under the APC, saying they were not afraid and only held themselves back because their people stood with them, warning that nobody should push them, as they had all it takes to deal decisively with whoever tried them.

He added that he was sending a message, directly or indirectly, that they were members of the All Progressives Congress and that was where Ebonyi people belonged, warning that whoever tried to challenge that would find the outcome far from pleasant.