The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in Ebonyi State has withdrawn its governorship candidate for the 2027 election and adopted the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Chief Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii, as its preferred candidate for the poll.
The NNPP State Chairman, Chief Ifeanyi Ojeogu, announced the decision on Thursday, September 3, 2026, when he led the party’s leaders and members to the PDP secretariat in Abakaliki to formally declare their support for Odii.
Ojeogu said the decision was driven by Odii’s political pedigree and the impact he made across the state during the 2023 governorship election.
He stressed that the endorsement did not amount to the collapse of the NNPP in Ebonyi, insisting that the party would retain its identity and structure while working with Odii to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027.
“We are not collapsing into PDP. When you see something good in your neighbour’s home and you need that thing, you go close to that person either to beg him or to support him to get it,” Ojeogu said.
“This is exactly what we have done by endorsing Chief Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii, the PDP governorship candidate. As far as the 2027 governorship election is concerned, we the NNPP have resolved and adopted Ifeanyi Odii.”
According to the NNPP chairman, Odii demonstrated considerable capacity during the 2023 election and remains, in the party’s assessment, the candidate best positioned to “recover Ebonyi State” in 2027.
The development signals an emerging alliance among opposition forces in the state as political parties begin positioning themselves ahead of the 2027 governorship contest.
Responding on behalf of Odii, Chief Mark Onu, Youth President of the Odii Support Group, welcomed the NNPP delegation and assured its members that they would receive equal treatment within the PDP.
Onu also urged the NNPP supporters not to be discouraged by what he described as alleged threats against opposition members by the APC-led administration in Ebonyi.
“There is nothing you can do on earth to silence a courageous man because for you to be courageous, you must be determined,” Onu said.
“We are determined to recover Ebonyi State. We are determined to work hard to make sure that Chief Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii becomes the governor of Ebonyi State in 2027.”
He assured opposition supporters that the PDP would take lawful steps to protect its members and supporters, adding that the party remained committed to offering the people of Ebonyi a credible alternative in the 2027 election.
The NNPP’s endorsement is expected to strengthen Odii’s opposition coalition as political realignments intensify in Ebonyi ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
The move also comes amid efforts by opposition parties to consolidate their structures and challenge the dominance of the ruling APC in the state.
