Introduction

Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru is a Nigerian politician, entrepreneur and administrator who served as two-terms Speaker of Ebonyi State House of Assembly. He hails from Oferekpe Agbaja in Izzi local government area of Ebonyi state. He currently emerged the winner of Ebonyi State APC 2023 governorship election conducted on March 18, 2023. 

He is married to Chief Uzoamaka Nwifuru. The couple has five children.

Profile

D.O.B – February 25, 1975

Place of Origin – Oferekpe Agbaja, Izzi Local Government Area of Ebonyi State

Education

Ogbonna Nwifuru enrolled into Oferekpe Agbaja Community Primary School in the year 1991. His continued persistence for acquisition of knowledge, took him to Community Secondary School, Nwofe Agbaja in the year 1999.

He proceeded into Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, to study Building Technology and Wood Work. He has since then become a reference person in building technology and wood work through his excellence and deftness in the field.

He enrolled for a second degree in Law at Ebonyi State University. This degree has been signed off in style and his knowledge of legal undertakings is absolutely phenomenal.

Nwifuru bagged a Masters Degree in Procurement, Logistics and Supply Chain Management from the prestigious Salford University, Manchester, United Kingdom in June 2021.

Politics

His first try in politics was in 2007 when he contested to represent his state constituency in the Ebonyi State House of Assembly but lost.

He was later appointed as an Ex-Officio State Executive Member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in Ebonyi State.

In March 2011, he took a second shot, won the election to represent Izzi West Constituency at Ebonyi State House of Assembly.

In that same tenure, he became the Deputy Chief Whip cum Chairman House Committee on Lands, Survey, Urban Development, and Environment.

He was re-elected in 2015 and as 5th speaker of the Assembly. He was also re-elected for same positions in 2019; hence becoming the only member to have returned as a two-time Speaker in the history of Ebonyi State House of Assembly.

In 2020, he was elected as the National Vice Chairman South East Conference of State Legislatures of Nigeria.

As the flagbearer of the All Progressives Congress during the 2023 Ebonyi gubernatorial election, Nwifuru garnered a total of 199,131 votes cast across the 13 local governments in the state to win the election.