Emegha, Ivo and 2027: Who Really Benefits from Zoning in Ebonyi?

This is the fundamental question!

If the issue is simply the August 22 local government election, why place such emphasis on the preservation of the state's political rotation?

And if the argument is principally about the 2027 governorship, then the people of Ebonyi deserve a much more direct conversation.

Are they being told that zoning should determine who becomes governor in 2027, regardless of the quality, record, competence or programme of the candidates?

If that is the argument, then it should be stated openly.

The people should know whether “protecting zoning” is being presented as a political principle or as a campaign instrument for retaining the incumbent administration.

ZONING CANNOT REPLACE THE PEOPLE'S RIGHT TO CHOOSE

There is nothing inherently wrong with political rotation when it promotes fairness, inclusion and peaceful coexistence.

But zoning should not become a substitute for democracy.

The people of Ebonyi are not political spectators. They have the right to examine every candidate seeking their votes in 2027 and determine who deserves their mandate.

If Governor Francis Nwifuru seeks another term, his administration should be judged on its record.

If Chief Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii and the PDP seek to take over the government, they too should be subjected to the same scrutiny.

The question should therefore not merely be “Where is the next governor coming from?”

The more important questions are:

What has the incumbent achieved?

What does the challenger offer?

Who has the better programme for Ebonyi?

Who can create jobs and expand economic opportunities?

Who can address infrastructure, education, healthcare and rural development?

Who can unite the state beyond partisan and sectional interests?

These are the questions that should define the 2027 governorship election.

IF ZONING IS ABOUT EQUITY, LET EQUITY BE DEMONSTRATED

Emegha reportedly argued that zoning has brought peace, equity and even development to Ebonyi.

That claim should not simply be accepted as a political slogan.

Equity must be visible.

It should be reflected in the distribution of infrastructure, economic opportunities, appointments, empowerment programmes and government attention across the state.

If the APC believes the Nwifuru administration represents the best continuation of that principle, then the party should present its evidence before the people.

Ebonyi voters are capable of comparing records.

THE IVO QUESTION

There is also an important irony in using Ivo as the platform for such a message.

The people of Ivo have immediate local concerns that require answers.

They need functioning roads, markets, healthcare, education, water, agricultural support, employment opportunities and an effective local government system.

The August 22 election should therefore be about choosing people capable of addressing those challenges.

But when a local government campaign is used to make a broader argument about political zoning ahead of 2027, voters are entitled to ask whether the local election is being turned into an early referendum on the gubernatorial contest.

If so, then the debate should be conducted openly.

ODII CANNOT BE DISMISSED SIMPLY BECAUSE OF ZONING

The emergence of Chief Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii as the PDP's gubernatorial candidate makes the zoning argument even more significant.

If the APC's position is that the 2027 governorship must remain within a particular zoning arrangement and that voting otherwise amounts to “political gambling,” then the party should explain why voters should regard that argument as more important than the candidates' competence, character, programmes and records.

Chief Odii and the PDP should also be allowed to present their own vision to Ebonyi people.

Democracy is not strengthened when one side claims that its preferred political arrangement is the only legitimate option.

It is strengthened when competing candidates are allowed to make their case and citizens are allowed to decide.

EBONYI BELONGS TO ITS PEOPLE

Political zoning is a political arrangement. It is not a constitutional replacement for the electorate.

The ultimate owners of the electoral mandate are the people.

Therefore, no politician—whether from APC, PDP or any other party—should portray citizens who disagree with a particular political arrangement as “thieves,” “enemies of the people” or political gamblers.

The people have every right to question political promises.

They have every right to compare Governor Nwifuru with Chief Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii.

They have every right to ask what has been achieved and what remains undone.

They have every right to decide whether continuity or change is in the best interest of the state.

THE 2027 QUESTION IS BIGGER THAN ZONING

The central question in 2027 should therefore not be reduced to “Who is entitled to govern because of zoning?”

It should be:

Who can govern Ebonyi better?

That is the question voters should be allowed to answer.

If Governor Nwifuru believes his administration deserves another mandate, he should ask the people to judge him by his record.

If Chief Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii believes the PDP offers a better alternative, he should present his programme and allow the people to judge him.

Let the candidates campaign.

Let the people listen.

Let the records speak.

Let the programmes compete.

And ultimately, let the people of Ebonyi decide.

Zoning may influence political calculations, but it should never be used as a weapon to frighten citizens away from exercising their democratic choice.

Ivo is not a political gambling ground, and Ebonyi State is not the private property of any political party. The 2027 governorship belongs to the people—and the people must be free to choose.