Responsibilities of the office
Assigned state responsibilities
Carries out state government business assigned by the governor. This can include administration of a department, programme coordination and representing the governor at official engagements.
Executive coordination
Participates with the governor and commissioners in meetings to consider policy, coordinate executive work and advise the governor.
Acting governor
Performs the governor�s functions when the constitutional procedure for acting governorship applies, including a formal written transfer during vacation or inability to discharge duties. The Constitution also provides a procedure involving the House of Assembly if a required declaration is not transmitted within 21 days.
Succession
Assumes the office of governor when it becomes vacant in the circumstances set out by the Constitution, including death, resignation or removal.
Limits of the office
The deputy is not a separate head of the state executive. Powers and assignments remain subject to the Constitution, legislation and oversight by the appropriate institutions.
About Patricia Obila
Patricia Obila is Deputy Governor of Ebonyi State, serving with Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru. State financial records identify her as the holder of the office.
Public role
Obila supports the governor through assigned state responsibilities. A September 2025 government statement recorded that Nwifuru had formally transferred authority to her through the House of Assembly while he travelled abroad. This is an example of the constitutional acting-governor arrangement, which is separate from the deputy's ordinary day-to-day assignments.
Sources and verification
Official background and verification 1
