Tobias Nnabuike Oriji, a kinsman of Ebonyi State Governor Francis Nwifuru, has emerged as the governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) ahead of the 2027 governorship election in the state.
Oriji secured the party’s ticket through a consensus arrangement during the ADC governorship primary election conducted on Friday across the 171 wards in Ebonyi State.
Speaking to journalists after the exercise, the ADC flagbearer, who is from Oferekpe Agbaja community in Izzi Local Government Area — the same community as Governor Nwifuru — said his ambition was driven by a desire to reposition the state and address what he described as shortcomings in governance.
Oriji expressed concern over issues such as poor electricity supply, unemployment and inadequate youth empowerment, promising a broad development agenda if elected governor in 2027.
According to him, his administration would focus on youth empowerment, agricultural growth, economic revival and improving the welfare of residents across the state.
“The youths are suffering. If elected governor, I will empower the youths, strengthen agriculture and ensure that people begin to live comfortably,” he said.
Oriji described himself as a graduate, businessman and agriculturist with considerable private sector experience, insisting that he possesses the leadership and administrative competence needed to govern Ebonyi State.
Reacting to his chances against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and Governor Nwifuru, the ADC candidate expressed confidence that his party would emerge victorious in the 2027 election.
“I have already defeated him politically. What remains is the swearing-in ceremony. By the grace of God, on May 29, 2027, we shall occupy the Government House. ADC will take over Ebonyi State Government House and even Aso Rock,” he declared.
On funding his campaign, Oriji maintained that he was fully prepared for the contest and would not have entered the race without adequate resources and political structure.
“If I do not have the resources, I would not have ventured into the race. The nomination form was not free. I paid for it and I am fully prepared for the election,” he added.
Despite being related to Governor Nwifuru, Oriji noted that every administration has its own style of leadership, adding that he intends to introduce fresh policies and programmes aimed at accelerating development in the state.
Earlier, the ADC Coordinator of Electoral Matters and State Returning Officer, Mr. Bassey Edogi Imoke, disclosed that the party adopted an electronic register system to ensure transparency and credibility during the primary election.
He revealed that the party recorded 12,889 registered delegates electronically, while 6,730 delegates were accredited across the 13 local government areas, with 6,400 delegates eventually casting their votes.
Imoke explained that the ward-level primary election was conducted in line with directives from the party’s national leadership, while results were later collated at local government and state collation centres.
“The figures are verifiable because they are on our electronic portal. We deliberately adopted a transparent process different from the irregular methods often associated with some political parties,” he stated.
Also speaking, Chairman of the ADC Primary Election Committee in Ebonyi State, Dr. Paschal Okafor, described the exercise as peaceful, orderly and fully compliant with the Electoral Act.
Orji explained that the party adopted both consensus and direct primary methods depending on the number of aspirants contesting each position.
“Where there is only one aspirant, consensus is adopted, while direct primaries are conducted where there are multiple contestants,” he said.
Similarly, the Secretary of the Electoral Committee and Deputy National Auditor of the ADC, Princess Nneka Nnebu, praised party officials, delegates and stakeholders for the peaceful conduct of the exercise, noting that no security incident was recorded.
She added that ward and local government executives across the 13 local government areas actively participated in the process.
In her remarks, the Ebonyi State Chairman of the ADC, Dr. Mrs. Jennifer Adibe-Nwafor, said the party had successfully concluded primaries for the State House of Assembly, House of Representatives and Senate seats across the 171 wards in the state.
She further disclosed that security agencies, including the police and the Department of State Services (DSS), as well as journalists and other relevant bodies, monitored the exercise to ensure transparency and orderliness.
Adibe-Nwafor expressed confidence that the ADC, which she described as a rapidly growing coalition platform, would perform strongly in the 2027 general elections both in Ebonyi State and nationwide.
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