Vice-President Kashim Shettima has declared that the President Bola Tinubu-led government was engineering a seismic economic and security shift in the South-East through aggressive capital injections into transport, green energy, agriculture, housing and human capital development.
According to him, the intervention of the government at the centre in Ebonyi State and the wider South-East were designed to improve regional connectivity, strengthen food security, expand economic opportunities and address longstanding development challenges that have constrained the region’s economic potential.
Speaking during the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign rally in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State capital, Shettima said the Tinubu administration had demonstrated its commitment to the state through major infrastructure projects, federal appointments and policies aimed at improving the welfare of citizens.
“This campaign has been a season of triumph. We have triumphed over the falsehoods of our opponents. We have triumphed over those who mistook the limits of their imagination for the limits of our reach.
“We have never turned our backs on you. We have answered your support with projects and President Bola Tinubu has honouredEbonyi through distinguished appointments and projects across the state,” he said.
He maintained that the administration’s development programmes reflected its determination to honour the confidence reposed in it by Nigerians, stressing that public office imposed an obligation to deliver measurable improvements in people’s lives.
“If any state can speak with confidence about the dividends of democracy, it is Ebonyi. You have stood by us. You have assured us that a mandate is a debt of honour, repayable only through service.
“Yet democracy demands the humility of asking again. We have returned to seek the renewal of your mandate, to serve you, to defend you, and to stand by you,” he said.
Highlighting ongoing infrastructure investments, Shettima identified the Calabar–Ebonyi–Benue–Kogi–Nasarawa–Abuja Superhighway, which formed part of the administration’s Trans-Saharan highway vision, as a major project intended to strengthen trade and economic integration between the South-East, North-Central and other parts of the country.
He also listed the Ndibe Bridge, designed to improve connectivity between Ebonyi and Cross River states, as well as ongoing work on the Enugu–Abakaliki–Ogoja Expressway and the Okposi–Ohaozara–Ukawu–Cross River road.
“Where shall we begin the account of our work? Shall we begin with the Calabar–Ebonyi–Benue–Kogi–Nasarawa–Abuja Superhighway, part of our Trans-Saharan highway vision?
“Or with the Ndibe Bridge, which will link Ebonyi with Cross River? We are advancing work on the Enugu–Abakaliki–OgojaExpressway and the Okposi–Ohaozara–Ukawu–Cross River road. Again, I ask: where shall we begin?” he stated.
He explained that the road projects would improve the movement of agricultural produce, manufactured goods and other commodities while reducing the logistical barriers facing businesses and communities across the region.
On agriculture, Shettima described Ebonyi as an important contributor to Nigeria’s food security, particularly through rice and cassava production, noting that the administration is supporting farmers with fertiliser distribution, interest-free FarmerMoniassistance and other agricultural development programmes.
He said investments in rural roads were equally important to agricultural productivity, as improved access to markets would help farmers reduce losses, increase earnings and expand production.
The vice-president further disclosed that thousands of beneficiaries in Ebonyi State had received grants under the Presidential Conditional Grant Scheme, while federal employment and digital skills initiatives were creating opportunities for young people to acquire relevant skills and establish sustainable livelihoods.
On security, Shettima said President Tinubu’s government had intensified efforts to restore stability across the South-East, stressing that lasting economic development depended on the safety of communities, businesses and critical infrastructure.
He identified the establishment and commencement of operations at the Nigerian Army Recruits Training Depot at Amasiri–Edda in Ebonyi State as one of the Federal Government’s security interventions in the region.
“The security of the South-East has changed since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu became Commander-in-Chief over three years ago. We have worked to restore order, and we will keep working,” Shettima assured.
Shettima also noted 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 major institutional initiatives intended to accelerate regional development, attract investment and create sustainable economic opportunities.
According to him, these interventions recognise the relationship between security, economic inclusion and long-term stability, adding that the Federal Government remains committed to addressing the structural challenges affecting the South-East.
Shettima said the administration had returned to Ebonyi to give an account of its work and to seek the renewal of its mandate to serve, defend and stand by the people.
Shettima also announced that funding had been set aside for renewable energy projects in eight locations across Ebonyi State to power homes and businesses.
Shettima stated: “We have returned to seek the renewal of your mandate: to serve you, to defend you and to stand by you.
“We have set aside funding for renewable energy projects in eight locations across the state. These investments are intended to power homes and businesses.
“Construction has begun on the renovation of housing estates to give more families decent places to live.
“We know what education means to you. Through NELFUND and TETFund, we are supporting students and educational institutions.”
The vice-president further noted that thousands of people in the state had benefited from grants under the Presidential Conditional Grants Scheme, while employment and digital skills programmes were helping young people acquire skills and build livelihoods.
Shettima said the security situation in the country had improved since Tinubu became Commander-in-Chief more than three years ago, and that the administration would continue working to restore order.
He pointed to the opening and commencement of operations of the Nigerian Army Recruit Training Depot in Amasiri, AfikpoNorth, as an example in Ebonyi.
He urged voters to come out en masse on January 16 and on February 6, 2027, to vote for Governor Francis Nwifuru and all APC candidates for the State House of Assembly.
Nwifuru, Shettima said improved federal revenue allocations have strengthened the capacity of state governments to invest in infrastructure and essential public services.
He praised the governor for deploying the state’s increased resources towards development projects, describing his administration’s efforts as a demonstration of responsible stewardship.
The APC campaign train, he however, said, was targeting 1.2 million votes in the state to renew the mandate of President Tinubu in January.
In their separate remarks at the rally, Nwifuru, former APC National Chairman, Senator Adams Oshiomhole; and Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, commended Tinubu’s economic reforms and infrastructure investments, urging the people of the state to renew their support for the administration in the 2027 general elections.
Nwifuru reaffirmed the state’s support for President Tinubu, saying Ebonyi had benefited significantly from the administration’s economic reforms and special interventions in road infrastructure.
“Under President Tinubu, the poor roads in our state and zone are now better. We now enjoy special road interventions,” he said.
Umahi described the massive turnout at the rally as a demonstration of Ebonyi State’s support for the APC and President Tinubu.
He thanked the president for what he described as unprecedented federal investments in road infrastructure across the state, involving hundreds of kilometres of highways and billions of naira in funding.
Earlier, on arrival in Abakaliki, the Vice President paid a courtesy visit to His Royal Highness, Eze Fidelis Nwonumara, Eze NnodoII of Amagu Autonomous Community in Abakaliki and Chairman of the Izzi/Nnodo Traditional Rulers Council, where he was conferred with the traditional chieftaincy title, Aka Ekpuchi Onwa, meaning “A Hand Cannot Cover the Moon.”
The title, drawn from an Igbo proverb, symbolises the enduring power of truth, integrity and greatness, conveying the belief that genuine merit and distinguished service cannot be concealed or diminished.
The conferment celebrated the Vice President’s public service and the longstanding bonds of friendship between the people of Northern Nigeria and the South-East.
The Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), Senator Abdulaziz Yari, said the state has 1.8 million registered voters, with 1.5 million Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) collected at the last count.
His words: “On behalf of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, I am setting my target. My target is a minimum of 1.2 million votes. Youths and women, do you agree with this target? Are you ready to give Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu 1.2 million votes in Ebonyi State.
“We are assured that in Ebonyi State, only Tinubu’s party exists. Is that true? Is that not so? In Ebonyi State, only Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s party exists,” he said.
On his part, the secretary of the APC presidential campaign council and the Chairman of Progressive Governors’ Forum, Senator Hope Uzodimma, warned that ongoing federal projects in the South-East would stop if Tinubu was not re-elected.
“Speaker after speaker has said good things about President Bola Tinubu. In the South-East, in the North-Central, in the North-East, in the North-West, in the South-South and South-West.
“But this time around, most of the things the President has done, many of them are completed, many of the projects have not been completed.
“Our responsibility will start from now to go and look for our PVC. That is the weapon, because if Bola Tinubu is not re-elected, all these ongoing projects will stop. So we have to sharpen our weapon, and our weapon is our voter card.
Umahi promised that the state would deliver 1.3 million votes for President Tinubu on January 16.
“We are showing the whole world that Ebonyi State belongs to the APC. We all know there is no NDC or any other party in Ebonyi State,” Umahi said.
APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, called for a clean sweep for the APC in both the presidential and governorship elections.
Yilwatda, who was represented by Deputy Nation Chairman, South, Ben Nwoye, urged Ebonyi voters to vote for the APC “from top to bottom” in the 2027 elections.
Wamakko Heads Sokoto APC Campaign Council as Aliyu Unveils 37 Member Team
Governor Ahmed Aliyu of Sokoto State, on Monday, unveiled a 37-member State Campaign Council for the APC in the state.
The council will be chaired by the leader of the party in the state, Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko.
The approval was contained in a statement by the Director-General, Media and Publicity, Government House, Sokoto, Abubakar Bawa.
According to the statement, Aliyu will serve as Deputy Chairman of the council.
He will be assisted by three Assistant Chairmen: the State Deputy Governor, Engineer Idris Mohammed Gobir; the Minister of Labour and Employment, Alhaji Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi; and the Minister of State, Works, Barrister Bello Muhammad Goronyo.
The APC North-West Secretary, Alhaji Isa Sadiq Achida, was named Director-General of the council, while the Chief of Staff, Government House, Sokoto, Alhaji Aminu Dinko, will serve as Secretary.
For the zonal structures, the Sokoto Central Senatorial District has a 41-member Campaign Committee, headed by Alhaji DalhatuSidi Mamman as Chairman, with the Commissioner for Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Barrister Nasiru Aliyu Dantsoho, as Secretary.
The Sokoto South Senatorial District has a 37-member Campaign Committee, with Senator Ibrahim Abdullahi Danbaba as Chairman and the Commissioner for Science and Technology, Professor Attahiru Sifawa, as Secretary.
The Sokoto East Senatorial District has a 46-member Campaign Committee, with the State Deputy Governor, Engineer Idris Muhammad Gobir, as Chairman, Barrister Bello Muhammad Goronyo as Deputy Chairman, and Dr. Bashir Achida, Commissioner for Budget and Economic Development, as Secretary.
The party also unveiled Campaign Coordinators for all the 23 Local Government Areas in the state.
The new campaign structures are expected to coordinate APC’s mobilisation and electioneering activities across Sokoto State ahead of the 2027 polls.
Deji Elumoye, Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja and Onuminya Innocent in Sokoto
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