The 2027 governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Ebonyi, Chief Ifeanyi-Chukwuma Odii, has dismissed allegations by the member representing Ikwo/Ezza South Federal Constituency, Mr Chinedu Ogah, that he has been sponsoring cyberbullying campaigns against Ebonyi government.

Odii, also known as “AnyiChuks” in a statement to journalists in Abakaliki on Tuesday, described the allegation as baseless and an attempt to criminalise legitimate criticism and divert attention from issues of governance in the state.

He maintained that demanding accountability from elected public officials was a constitutional right of citizens and should not be misconstrued as cyberbullying or cyberstalking.

“Since when did asking questions become cyberbullying? Since when did demanding a scorecard become cyberstalking?” Odii asked.

He noted that Ebonyi people deserved to know how public resources allocated to the state had been utilised, insisting that citizens had the right to demand transparency and good governance.

According to him, criticism of government policies and performance is an essential feature of democracy and should not be interpreted as an attack on any individual.

The PDP governorship candidate also denied allegations that he was influencing officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to register underage voters, describing the accusation as reckless, defamatory and without evidence.

He urged the lawmaker to forward any evidence in his possession to the appropriate security agencies instead of making what he described as unsubstantiated allegations in the media.

The PDP candidate pledged to continue criticising the government in areas requiring improvement and commend it where it performs well.

Odii added that he would continue to advocate transparency, accountability and inclusive development, stressing that responsible opposition was vital to democratic governance.

Odii said he would not be intimidated into silence, adding that the people of the state would ultimately determine the outcome of the 2027 governorship election.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ogah, at a press conference recently accused Odii of sponsoring cyberbullying and propaganda against the Ebonyi government led by Governor Nwifuru

Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has said he is unlikely to contest the presidency after the 2027 general election.

Speaking in an interview with media personality Rufai Oseni, the former Anambra State governor said his decision is linked to Nigeria’s informal zoning arrangement, which rotates the presidency between the North and the South.

“For me, it depends on what happens. I don’t want to say it because people might think that I’m saying it because of some people,” Obi said.

He recalled answering a similar question from a secondary school student, explaining that if he does not become president in 2027, the presidency is expected to shift to the North in 2031.

“I said because if I don’t run now, by the next time it comes, believing in the zoning formula, it will go to the North,” he said.

“If it goes North in 2031, by the time it comes again to the South, I will be 78 years old, and I don’t think I would be doing this at that age.”
He said he could only consider another presidential bid if the presidency remained in the South in 2031, but stressed that such a scenario is unlikely.

“If it’s still in the South in the next election, maybe, but the probability is very slim. I don’t know until after the 2027 election,” he said.

The Deputy National Financial Secretary of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Oladimeji Fabiyi, has urged the judiciary not to allow itself be persuaded into helping President Bola Tinubu destroy Nigeria’s democracy.

Fabiyi made the call on Tuesday when he appeared as a guest in an interview on Trust TV.

He was reacting to the recent Appeal Court ruling which upheld an order stopping the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, from recognising ADC state congresses.

“The judiciary should not help Tinubu to destroy our democracy. We will not allow it. As tough and serious as the military was, it never subjected our judiciary to this ridicule, to the point that our judiciary has gone to the abyss.

“They want to turn the country into a one-party state. It’s not going to work. We are not going to allow it. Our legal team are handling whatever is in the court. It does not stop us. We are still going on with activities everywhere.

“Now, what we need is to ask Nigerians to really understand our situation. It’s not only ADC. We see what they are doing to the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Labour Party and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. It’s not limited to ADC alone. So we are not bothered,” he said.