Nwifuru Francis Ogbonna

Francis Ogbonna Erishi Nwifuru was born into a polygamous family in Nigeria and started his education sporadically at Oferekpe Agbaja Community Primary School before continuing at Community Secondary School, Nwofe Agbaja.

He attended irregularly due to responsibilities related to rearing cattle alongside his brothers. After completing post-primary studies, he was baptized Catholic and later enrolled in Ebonyi State University to study Building Technology and Woodwork.

His educational journey was not uninterrupted; he faced disruptions and worked with his family’s cattle herding duties during school breaks. Upon finishing his formal education, he pursued further studies, earning a master's degree in Procurement, Logistics, and Supply Chain Management from Salford University, UK, in 2021.

Ogbonna began his political career by running for the Ebonyi State House of Assembly in 2007 but lost. He later served as an Ex-Officio State Executive Member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before transitioning to APC in 2020.

He first won election to represent Izzi West Constituency in the Ebonyi State legislature in March 2011, serving as Deputy Chief Whip and later chairman of the Committee on Lands, Survey, Urban Development, and Environment. His tenure included re-election in 2015, where he became Speaker for the fifth time.

Ogbonna’s political career extended to national recognition when he was elected National Vice-Chairman of the South East Conference of State Legislatures of Nigeria. As an APC candidate in the 2023 Ebonyi gubernatorial election, he secured 199,131 votes across the state’s local governments to win the election.

He has since held the position of Governor of Ebonyi State since 2023 and previously served as Speaker of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly from June 2015 until his appointment as governor.