ABUJA, Nigeria — The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate for Ebonyi State, Ifeanyichukwuma Odii, has declared that the state requires a new direction under transformational leadership, pledging to prioritise education, infrastructure, and human capital development if elected in the 2027 general election.
Odii made the pledge on Thursday night during an interactive dinner organised in his honour by the Ebonyi Business Community and Friends in Abuja, where he unveiled what he described as a roadmap for the state’s economic rebirth. According to him, his aspiration is driven by a commitment to provide visionary leadership capable of unlocking Ebonyi’s vast but underutilised human and natural resources.
“Our state possesses enormous human and natural resources, fertile lands and industrious people, yet we remain far below our potential. The tragedy is not the lack of potential; the tragedy is a failure of leadership and vision. The current administration has failed because you cannot give what you do not have,” Odii said.
The PDP candidate identified five priority areas for his administration: education, human capital development, infrastructure, institutional reforms and security, and tourism. He promised to declare a state of emergency in education, modernise public schools, recruit and retrain teachers, introduce technology-driven learning, and expand STEM education.
He further pledged to launch what he described as the most ambitious human capital development programme in Ebonyi’s history, aimed at equipping young people with skills in artificial intelligence, robotics, software development, data analytics, renewable energy and mechanised agriculture. “I want Ebonyi youths to become employers of labour. I want Ebonyi youths to become exporters. I want Ebonyi youths to become global innovators. I want Ebonyi youths to compete with the best anywhere in the world,” he said.
Reflecting on the state’s history, Odii paid tribute to founding leaders, including Dr Akanu Ibiam, the late Chief Martin Elechi and Senator Offia Nwali, saying their sacrifices laid the foundation for a prosperous state but lamenting that the vision had yet to be fully realised.
The governorship hopeful also dismissed the politics of zoning as a distraction, insisting that competence, capacity and commitment to service should take precedence over sectional considerations. “I am offering myself because I am a citizen of Ebonyi State, I am qualified to run, and I have the capacity to deliver good governance. What binds us together is the state, not the Abakaliki or Afikpo bloc,” he declared.
Odii has received endorsements from the Umuekumenyi Leaders’ Council, which described him as “the most credible alternative for the state’s leadership at this critical period.” The council, comprising community leaders, professionals, youth representatives, and women leaders, said Odii’s background in the private sector and his perceived leadership qualities place him in a strong position to drive economic growth and development in the state.
The PDP candidate also urged members of the Ebonyi business community to mobilise eligible voters for the ongoing voter registration exercise, stressing that broad participation would be critical to the success of the PDP in the next election. “Last time you supported and voted for me, but whatever happened, we took it as God willed. But I assure you this time around, your votes must count. We are better prepared,” he said.
