2027: Ochishi Mobilizes Ebonyi Youths For Nwifuru’s Re-election
By Alex Odeh, Pan Afric Reporters
The Chairman of the National Youth Council of Nigeria, Ebonyi State Chapter, Comrade Douglas Ochishi, has embarked on massive mobilisation of the youths in the state to support Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru’s second-term bid, citing what he described as extensive infrastructure projects and human-capital development initiatives under the administration.
Ochishi made the call on Monday during an interactive session with journalists at the NYCN office, Pa Ngele Oruta Township Stadium, Abakaliki, where he said the governor’s People’s Charter of Needs agenda had produced visible interventions across several communities.
The youth leader said the administration’s performance should be assessed against the projects and programmes being executed across the state, rather than through political comparisons.
He specifically cited ongoing works at Iziogo Market, including a flyover tunnel linking the area towards the Benue/Abuja Road, as well as a bridge nearing completion at the Ebonyi-Benue boundary at Onuenyim Agbaja in Enyim Agbaja Community.
“If you go to Iziogo Market, you will see the flyover tunnel traversing towards the Benue/Abuja Road. If you go to the Ebonyi-Benue boundary at Onuenyim Agbaja in Enyim Agbaja Community, you will see a bridge nearing completion, together with the adjoining road from Iziogo,” Ochishi said.
He also listed road projects around Obvudechi and adjoining communities, as well as the ongoing road intervention from Mile 4 Hospital towards Oterufe and neighbouring communities, as evidence of the administration’s infrastructure drive.
Ochishi said the projects were not limited to urban centres, maintaining that interventions in different parts of the state demonstrated an attempt by the government to spread development across communities.
He, however, stressed that physical infrastructure represented only one aspect of what he described as the administration’s development agenda.
According to him, youth empowerment, education, scholarship programmes and broader human-capital initiatives constitute significant components of the People’s Charter of Needs.
Ochishi said the youth constituency had a responsibility to interrogate government policies, monitor implementation and participate actively in democratic processes ahead of the 2027 elections.
He said the NYCN leadership would continue engaging young people across the state on governance and development issues while encouraging them to make political choices based on their assessment of government performance.
“Indeed, Governor Nwifuru has worked. His second term should be an opportunity to fine-tune, consolidate and further improve the gains of the administration for the continued development of Ebonyi State,” he said.
The NYCN chairman argued that the scale of projects and programmes being executed under Nwifuru made it necessary for the administration’s record to be subjected to a comprehensive assessment.
“I see no basis for comparing the People’s Charter of Needs administration with other state governments without considering the specific projects and programmes being implemented across Ebonyi State,” he stated.
His position comes as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 general elections, with youth mobilisation increasingly becoming a prominent feature of political engagement in the state.
Ochishi urged youths to reject violence and other forms of destructive political participation, saying the political process should be used to advance development and create opportunities for younger generations.
“It is time to plough, not to plunder. Our collective responsibility is to support initiatives that promote development, empower our youths and build a stronger Ebonyi State,” he said.
He maintained that young people must remain central to conversations on governance, insisting that sustainable development could not be achieved without meaningful youth participation.
The NYCN chairman further urged the government to sustain its investment in infrastructure, education and empowerment while calling on youths to remain peaceful, politically conscious and development-oriented as the 2027 elections draw closer.
