By Nkume Peter, Abakaliki
The leadership of Francis Frontiers (F-F), the foremost political support organisation for the reelection of Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, has dismissed as baseless and laughable a communiqué purportedly issued by expelled members of the group, describing it as a desperate attempt to sow discord and mislead the public.
In a strongly worded statement signed by the National President, Rt. Hon. Chris Usulor, the group said the so-called “vote of no confidence” from a handful of disgruntled elements amounted to political comedy, insisting that Francis Frontiers remains united and resolute in its mission to deliver total electoral victory for Governor Nwifuru in 2027.
Usulor described as “ridiculous and self-indicting” the claims of a “four-man cartel” made by the expelled members — Uche Ali Ega, Maurice Mbam, Victor Unoke, and Victor Aleke — whom he said were sanctioned for gross misconduct and sabotage.
“If they call us a four-man cartel, why are they fighting tooth and nail to be identified with the same group they claim is hijacked? Francis Frontiers is bigger than any individual. It is a people-driven organisation with one mission to project and protect the vision of our governor,” Usulor declared.
The statement reaffirmed that the group remains “strong, united, and people-focused,” urging Ebonyians not to be deceived by propaganda from political jobbers “whose only stock-in-trade is blackmail and character assassination.”
But in a counter communiqué, some founding members, local government coordinators, and state executives — led by Hon. Victor Aleke and Barr. Ituma Chinedu — accused the leadership of hijacking the organisation. They alleged that a clique within the executives had sidelined critical stakeholders, appointed over 100 persons without consultation, and excluded the state APC hierarchy from their programmes.
The aggrieved members, while pledging continued loyalty to Governor Nwifuru and support for his 2027 reelection, demanded that the authorities call the alleged “cartel” to order and halt all activities of the group until its leadership “redeems its wrongs.”
The crisis marked a major internal rift within the governor’s support base, with observers keenly watching how it will be resolved as political activities ahead of 2027 gather momentum.
