2027: 40,000 Abia Farmers Back Anosike as Agriculture Takes Centre Stage
By Akin Alade
Agriculture is emerging as a major campaign issue ahead of the 2027 Abia State governorship election, following the decision by more than 40,000 farmers under the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Abia State chapter, to adopt Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Dr Kelechi Anosike, as their preferred candidate.
The endorsement, announced by AFAN State Chairman Mike Obinna Okezie during a meeting with Anosike in Umuahia, was linked by the association to the candidate’s proposed programmes on food security, farmers’ welfare, rural development and agricultural productivity.
Rather than treating the development solely as an electoral endorsement, the farmers’ position has placed agricultural policy and the future of rural communities more prominently in the political conversation ahead of the February 6, 2027 governorship election. AFAN said its decision followed deliberations on the challenges confronting farmers and the need for stronger government intervention in the sector.
At the centre of Anosike’s agricultural proposal is Operation Feed Abia, alongside the restoration of agricultural extension services, farm mechanisation, grants and other support for farmers. He has also proposed the revitalisation of farm settlements and improved rural infrastructure as part of a broader strategy for food production and rural development.
The PDP candidate also approved the creation of a Directorate of Farmers within his campaign council, with the proposed structure expected to include representatives from across the state’s 17 local government areas and 184 wards. The move followed a request by the Director-General of the Abia PDP Governorship Campaign Council, Chief Obinna Nwachukwu.
Anosike said farmers would have a prominent role in his proposed administration if elected, while outlining plans for farm grants, improved access to tractors, agricultural extension support, better packaging and standardisation of farm produce for export, and the revival of abandoned farm settlements.
He also proposed a Rural Development Agency to address rural roads and related infrastructure, while identifying fishery, piggery, poultry and ranching as areas where young people could be attracted into agriculture and associated value chains. According to the candidate, the broader objective is to make agriculture a significant source of employment and wealth creation in Abia.
The development also comes with a political commitment from the Abia PDP leadership. The party’s state chairman and deputy governorship candidate, Elder Amah Abraham, said farmers should participate in policy formulation rather than be treated merely as electoral supporters. He also pledged that a future PDP administration would consider appointing a practising farmer as Commissioner for Agriculture.
For the 2027 Abia governorship race, the farmers’ intervention adds another dimension to the contest, with food production, rural infrastructure, agricultural financing and value-chain development now featuring prominently in the campaign conversation. Anosike, while receiving the endorsement, said the election should be driven by competing ideas and development programmes rather than personal attacks.
The endorsement does not, by itself, determine the outcome of the 2027 election, but it represents a significant campaign development for Anosike and places the concerns of farmers at the centre of his campaign narrative as political parties and candidates prepare for the Abia governorship contest.
