His Excellency, Right Honourable (Dr) Francis Nwifuru, is the 4th Executive Governor of Ebonyi State, Salt of the Nation.
He officially joined public service in 2007, contesting the House of Assembly without success but became State Exoffio member of the PDP in the process.
Right Honourable Nwifuru contested House of Assembly again in 2011 and this time made it under the administration of former Governor Martin Elechi.
Due to his efficacious representation in the House, his Constituents, the good people of Izzi West Constituency Renewed their mandate for him in 2015 through the ballot.
This time around, his colleagues spotted the unique leadership qualities in him and elected him their Presiding Officer.
Like the fatty meat which proves itself on fire, Governor Nwifuru wowed his colleagues of the 5th Assembly with astute display of Parliamentary bravura.
Quite conversant that egalitarian leaders do not change a winning team, Right Honourable Nwifuru's reign as Speaker of the House of Assembly was upheld by the 6th Assembly where he upped his ante in ensuring that the Assembly continued to be recognized as the most peaceful in Nigeria.
Due to glaring and uncommon dexterity in meeting the yearnings and aspirations of well-meaning Ebonyians through the instrument of people oriented legislation, Ebonyi people launched a clarion call on Right Honourable Nwifuru to aspire to replace his master then, Engineer Dave Umahi.
Right Honourable Nwifuru as a refined gentleman heeded the call of Ebonyians and made himself available for the race and gladly, Ebonyians voted in one accord in his favour in the March 18 Gubernatorial election in the State.
Despite the landslide victory, some naysayers decided to subject the will of greater majority of Ebonyians to unnecessary litigations.
First, it was Ifeanyi Odii of the PDP, a runner up and Ifeanyi Odo a distant first runner up who decided to challenge the outcome of the election in the Tribunal.
This Tribunal in its wisdom saw no merit in their petition and relegated it to the dustbin where it rightly belonged.
Out of sheer devotion to mischief, they proceeded to the Court of Appeal where the three man Panel of Justices led by Justice Jummai Sankey meticulously upheld the decision of Ebonyians and that of the Tribunal by dismissing their petition for lacking in merit.
In a mere sauntering quest to save the face, the Candidate of the PDP, Ifeanyi Odii proceeded to the Apex Court of the land, the Supreme Court of Nigeria to once again challenge the emergence of Governor Nwifuru.
This time, the learned Justices today, Friday, January 12, 2024 magisterially flawed him and his co travelers, and held that Odii failed in his petition to prove non-compliance as alleged.
On the issue of membership, the apex court held that Odii lacks jurisdiction, as the issue of membership of a candidate continue to remain an internal affair of the party.
Odii had in his petition held that Nwifuru was not a member of the APC when he ran for the office of governor, citing section 177c of the constitution.
With the litigations all but finally laid to rest by the Highest Court of the land, Ebonyians are exhilarated and titillated that at last their mandate for Governor Nwifuru which was abinitio rooted in the tripod stand of justice, equity and fairness was not tampered.
Because despite the distractions of litigations, Right Honourable Francis Nwifuru had hit the ground running from inception, Ebonyians at the moment are upbeat that Ebonyi State under Governor Nwifuru will soon become a centre of excellence where those aspiring to make impact in governance across Nigeria and beyond would be required to visit for understudy.
As Ebonyians roll out their drums to celebrate this audacious feat, they should not be carried away by the euphoria but remember to hurriedly tighten their seatbelt and onboard the moving train of His Excellency the Governor as he accelerates the pace of development in parts of the State.
With a renewed and refocused Right Honourable (Dr) Francis Nwifuru on the saddle, a lot more goodies are sure to be delivered to Ebonyians in no distant time.
Dr. Boniface Nwankwo
Special Assistant to the Governor on Documentation
January 12, 2024
