By Chibuike Nwabuko
ABUJA (PRECISE POST) – Business mogul and philanthropist Gaius Chibueze has formally ruled out contesting the 2027 governorship election in Enugu State, despite growing calls from supporters urging him to join the race.
In a statement issued from the desk of the founder of the “Our Enugu/B’ANYI Movement,” Chibueze appealed to supporters to suspend all mobilisation efforts, including the circulation of campaign posters and the acquisition of nomination forms on his behalf under the New Democratic Congress (NDC).
He expressed appreciation to supporters who had promoted his potential candidacy across social media and communities, saying their confidence in his leadership was deeply valued.
“Your confidence is not something I take lightly, and it is not something I will waste,” he stated, while urging supporters to “stand down for now.”
Chibueze explained that although he was not shying away from leadership responsibilities, the timing was not right for a governorship bid, insisting that genuine political transformation requires careful preparation and structure rather than rushed ambition.
Quoting the biblical passage Habakkuk 2:3, he said the vision for Enugu’s transformation would manifest “at an appointed time.”
The entrepreneur highlighted several projects he said he had personally funded in Enugu State over the last 12 years, including the Igbo Tech City Hub Scholarship initiative, which he said had trained hundreds of youths in digital skills relevant to the modern job market.
He also cited the establishment of Ohaneze Farms in Isi Uzo Local Government Area, described as the largest fenced livestock farm in the South-East, alongside healthcare outreach programmes targeted at underserved communities.
According to him, his business group, Eastside Ventures, is also behind projects such as Tech City Africa, ONYE Ije Motors, Voice of the East, and the Southeast Talent Hunt.
Chibueze disclosed that Eastside Ventures at one point employed more than 156 workers daily, adding that he deliberately set staff salaries at ₦150,000 and above to ensure workers earned wages that reflected their dignity.
Reflecting on the economic realities facing many young people in Enugu, he lamented the migration of graduates from institutions such as the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and Enugu State University of Science and Technology to cities like Lagos and Abuja in search of better opportunities.
He argued that the state’s challenges were structural and could not be solved through a single election cycle, stressing that sustainable transformation would require the creation of a broader movement focused on economic development and institutional reform.
According to him, the “Our Enugu/B’ANYI Movement” is aimed at building that structure and redefining what is possible for the state before any future political ambition is pursued.
