Former House of Representatives member and Ebonyi South Senatorial candidate in 2023, Linus Okorie, has strongly refuted claims that the South-East region is benefiting from “juicy” federal appointments and major infrastructure projects under President Bola Tinubu’s government.
Okorie, who represented Ohaozara/Onicha/Ivo Federal Constituency between 2011 and 2019, described the situation as a continuation of systemic exclusion of the Igbo nation in Nigeria’s governance structure. He highlighted the absence of South-East representatives in the Presidential Committee on the 2025 National Population and Housing Census as a fresh indication of marginalization.
According to him, appointments under the current administration clearly show imbalance. While Tinubu has filled key positions with allies from the South-West and other regions, “not a single Igbo voice exists in the President’s inner circle.” He further pointed out that out of the constitutionally mandated ministerial slots, the South-East received only five, mostly junior ministers, while states like Ogun in the South-West boast of five full cabinet ministers.
He further noted the disparity in federal road contracts, revealing that while the South-West received about ₦2.5 trillion covering more than 1,200 kilometers of construction, the South-East got only ₦446 billion for less than 250 kilometers.
“If anything, these figures prove that the South-East, including Ebonyi, is still shortchanged. What our people need is delivery of real projects, not political propaganda,” Okorie stated.
On the 2027 general elections, the ex-lawmaker said Ebonyians and the wider South-East must take the ongoing voter registration exercise seriously, insisting that political liberation lies in massive participation at the polls.
“The hunger, unemployment, and insecurity our people face daily are the real issues. No political statement can erase that. Every eligible voter in Ebonyi must get their PVC ready, because 2027 will not just be about political parties — it will be about Nigerians versus hardship,” he added.
Okorie called on Ndigbo —at home and in the diaspora— to see voter registration as a collective duty, stressing that the “Obidient movement” which gained ground in 2023 remains alive as a force for change.
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