By Victor Nwegede, Abakaliki.
Labour Party candidate for Abakaliki/Izzi Federal Constituency, Dr Ezeh Emmanuel Ezeh, has challenged opposition parties in Ebonyi State to overcome their divisions and forge a common political front ahead of the 2027 general elections, warning that fragmented opposition could struggle to challenge the state’s entrenched political establishment.
Ezeh said opposition leaders must look beyond personal ambitions and competing interests to build a credible alternative to what he described as a political system dominated by patronage, family entitlement and the concentration of power among influential individuals.
He made the call in a statement, in which he questioned the accountability of political actors and alleged that some influential stakeholders had increasingly treated public offices and government resources as instruments of private advantage.
“Ebonyi is gradually becoming a state held hostage by a small but very self-serving prebendal political elite that has transformed public office into private property and political power into family inheritance,” he wrote.
The Oxford-trained entrepreneur and public affairs commentator alleged that political opportunities, elective positions and public contracts were sometimes distributed through personal connections rather than transparent processes anchored on competence, accountability and public interest.
He also raised concerns over what he described as attempts by influential politicians to secure elective positions for their children, arguing that the practice could narrow political participation and weaken competition within the democratic process.
Ezeh questioned the conduct of political stakeholders who convene zoning summits and consultations on the state’s future but, according to him, fail to adequately confront governance shortcomings and questions surrounding the management of public resources.
He argued that the challenge facing Ebonyi extended beyond party rivalry, contending that the concentration of political influence among a privileged circle could undermine institutional accountability and inclusive governance.
With the 2027 elections approaching, the Labour Party candidate urged opposition parties to develop a common political programme focused on accountable leadership, equitable opportunities and the effective use of public resources.
“If Ebonyi is to be saved, the rescue mission will not come from the very people who created the crisis,” Ezeh stated, arguing that opposition unity was necessary to challenge what he characterised as elite capture and the politics of inheritance.
However, he cautioned that opposition parties must also examine their own leadership and practices, warning that a coalition driven solely by the desire to displace the ruling establishment might fail to deliver meaningful change.
He questioned whether some opposition figures were genuinely committed to reform or merely sought to replace existing power holders without dismantling the structures of patronage they criticised.
“But can we trust many in the opposition, or are they merely an extension of the very forces of darkness holding Ndi Ebonyi down?” he asked.
Ezeh drew an analogy with the film Saving Private Ryan to emphasise his argument that rescuing the state from its political challenges would require collective sacrifice and a willingness to place the public interest above personal ambitions.
A former Deputy President of the South-East Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (SECCIMA), Ezeh is the current President of the Ebonyi Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (EBCCIMA).
