By Oscar Okhifo
Bldr. Dr. Chukwu Kalu Ebei has assumed duty as Director-General of the Nkporo4PBAT Presidential and Alex Otti Governorship Campaign Council, pledging to mobilise support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Abia State Governor Alex Chioma Otti ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In his acceptance speech, Ebei praised the founder and grand patron of the movement, High Chief Jackson Ude, for his contributions to the development of Nkporo, describing him as a visionary leader committed to the welfare of his people.
He credited Ude with supporting youth empowerment, providing scholarships, extending humanitarian assistance to vulnerable residents and facilitating federal employment opportunities for Nkporo indigenes.
According to Ebei, Ude has spent millions of naira empowering young people, providing relief to the elderly, widows and other vulnerable members of the community, as well as sponsoring students pursuing undergraduate and postgraduate studies in Nigeria and abroad.
He also attributed the employment of several Nkporo indigenes in strategic federal institutions, including the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) and Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), to Ude’s interventions.
“High Chief Jackson Ude has proven over time to be a man whose love for Nkporo is unquestionable and unshakable. His philanthropy is legendary and his commitment to our people is visible to all,” Ebei said.
Describing Ude as an exceptional philanthropist and dependable champion of his people, he added: “He has proven to be a rare philanthropist and a true warrior, a man who would go to war and bring back the spoils for the benefit of Nkporo.”
Ebei expressed confidence that Ude’s capacity to attract opportunities to Nkporo would be strengthened by his strategic relationship with President Tinubu.
“If High Chief Jackson Ude could achieve all these remarkable feats while in opposition, we can only imagine what he will do now that he is in strategic alliance with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. If he could do so much with little access, he will do far more with full access,” he said.
He said the movement’s alignment with the Federal Government was based on Ude’s influence and capacity to attract development to the community.
“Our strategic alignment with the Centre is anchored solely on the strength and capabilities of High Chief Jackson Ude,” Ebei stated.
The new campaign council DG also expressed appreciation to its coordinator, Hon. Ogbuagu Anthony S., and the leadership of Nkporo for the confidence reposed in him.
Explaining the council’s political direction, Ebei said its decision to support Tinubu at the federal level and Otti in Abia State followed months of consultations with stakeholders across Nkporo.
He said the consultations involved village heads, women and youth leaders, captains of industry and political representatives of the Labour Party, All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
Ebei stressed that the initiative was not a conventional party affair but a coalition aimed at placing the collective interests of Nkporo above partisan considerations.
“This is NOT a party affair. This is a COALITION ACROSS PARTY LINES. This is NKPORO FIRST,” he declared.
Making a case for Tinubu’s re-election, Ebei acknowledged the economic challenges facing Nigerians but argued that the administration had recorded some positive developments.
He cited increased Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) disbursements, growth in external reserves, efforts to expand local refining capacity and the student loan scheme as policies and developments he said could create opportunities for communities.
However, he questioned the extent to which Nkporo had benefited from political opportunities at the national level, noting that neighbouring communities had produced prominent national officeholders whose positions had helped attract recognition and development to their areas.
“Where is Nkporo in this new Nigeria? Where is our share?” he asked.
Ebei said the community could no longer afford political isolation, arguing that strategic engagement and effective representation were necessary to secure federal appointments, employment opportunities for graduates and infrastructure projects.
“Nkporo alone, with our votes alone, cannot change Nigeria and cannot remove a sitting president. If we stand alone in opposition for the next four years, we will be forgotten. That is the bitter truth,” he said.
He added, “When you are on the table, you eat. When you are outside the table, you are on the menu.”
At the state level, Ebei commended Otti’s administration, citing the rehabilitation of Port Harcourt Road, prompt payment of salaries, improved environmental sanitation in Umuahia and Aba, and infrastructure development as reasons for supporting the governor’s continued leadership.
He said the administration had also created opportunities for greater inclusion of Nkporo indigenes in state governance through appointments and empowerment programmes.
“Should we shut that door because of party sentiment? No! Wise people do not shut an open door,” he said.
Summarising the council’s political strategy, Ebei declared: “TINUBU AT THE CENTRE, OTTI AT THE STATE.”
He pledged to justify the confidence reposed in him through extensive grassroots mobilisation across Nkporo communities and among indigenes in the diaspora.
“As your DG, I make you this covenant today: I will sensitise Nkporo from Amurie to Elughu, from Ndi-Nko to Obuofia, from Agbaja to Etitiama, from Ukwa to Okwoko and from home to abroad,” he said.
Ebei promised door-to-door mobilisation, engagements with age-grade groups, market-to-market campaigns and church outreach, expressing confidence that the council would deliver victory for Tinubu at the federal level and Otti in Abia State in 2027.
“This election is not about party. It is about interest. It is about survival. It is about our children,” he said.