Stop Dividing South-east for Selfish Political Interests, Ebonyi Group Tackles Umahi

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

The Association of Ebonyi Indigenes Socio-Cultural in the Diaspora (AEISCID) has warned the Minister of Works, David Umahi, to stop dividing the South-east for selfish political interests.

The group was reacting to a viral video in which Umahi said Ebonyi leaders were being attacked for refusing to support the presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi in the 2027 presidential election.

Umahi had in the video said: “You are calling out people like us because we said we will not vote for him and we tell our people not to vote for him, and you are insulting us,” while challenging Obi to mention any Ebonyi indigene he appointed when he was governor of Anambra State.

The minister also waded into Ebonyi State’s 2027 governorship zoning debate, saying: “Just like it’s not the turn of the South East and Peter Obi to be president of Nigeria, it’s not the turn of Ebonyi South to be governor of Ebonyi State.”

He added he would meet with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Ifeanyi Odii, to ask him to step down.

However, the President AEISCID, Paschal Oluchukwu, in a statement issued yesterday described Umahi’s comments as “shameful, uncivil, uncouth and unbecoming” of a former governor and serving minister.

The group said Umahi had appointed himself an “unofficial spokesperson” of Ndi Igbo and accused him of attempting to pitch Ebonyi people against Anambra and the rest of the Igbo nation.

Oluchukwu noted: “We wish to vehemently condemn these statements as they are shameful, uncivil, uncouth and terribly unbecoming of a leader at the level of Umahi.”

The group noted that it was troubled by what it called Umahi’s “senseless and relentless attacks” on Obi and other Igbo politicians for exercising their constitutional right to contest elections.

The Diaspora body also accused Umahi of hypocrisy on the zoning principle, recalling that he refused to step down in 2015 when his predecessor, Martin Elechi, anointed Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu from the same Ebonyi South zone.

According to the group, Umahi’s current zoning advocacy is a ploy to perpetuate his political influence in Ebonyi through Governor Francis Nwifuru, whom it described as his puppet.

It alleged that Umahi single-handedly nominated his son, Osborn Umahi, as Chairman of Ohaozara LGA and is positioning him for higher offices, including the governorship in 2039.

The group urged the PDP governorship candidate, Odii to ignore Umahi’s call to step down and continue to offer alternative ideas to Ebonyians, insisting that “Ebonyi voters, not Umahi, will decide the 2027 election.”

It claimed that the Nwifuru administration has recorded no significant development project in nearly four years due to godfatherism.

To this end, the group gave Umahi 72 hours to recant his divisive statements and apologise to Obi, Odii, Ebonyi people and Ndigbo at large, or face legal action.

The group also urged President Bola Tinubu to call the minister to order, saying his role as a member of the Federal Executive Council should be to preach peace and unity, not incite hate.

Elections Campaign ‘ll Be Issue-based, Says APC’s PCC Women Directorate

Jonathan Eze

The Director of Women Mobilisation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), Dr Betta Edu, yesterday declared that the 2027 presidential campaign would be issue-based, expressing confidence that the achievements of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration will provide compelling evidence for his re-election.

Edu, who stated that in Abuja, said Nigerian women were increasingly recognising the direction of the Tinubu administration and had intensified grassroots mobilisation across communities, households, and voting constituencies to secure another mandate for the president and sustain the implementation of his policies and development programmes.

She maintained that the APC would approach the forthcoming election with a clear message anchored on its record in government, ongoing infrastructure projects, economic reforms, educational opportunities, and initiatives designed to improve the livelihoods of Nigerians.

According to her, the party has substantial achievements to present to the electorate and would campaign on policies, programmes, and measurable results rather than empty promises or personality-driven rhetoric.

Edu expressed profound gratitude to President Tinubu for his leadership and commitment to the Renewed Hope Agenda, as well as the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, for her consistent advocacy for women, families, and national development.

She also appreciated Vice President Kashim Shettima and his wife, Nana Shettima; the Senate President and his wife; the Speaker of the House of Representatives and his wife; the Director-General of the Presidential Campaign Council, Senator Abdulaziz Yari; the Secretary of the APC Presidential Campaign Council; and Chairman of the Progressives Governors Forum, Governor Hope Uzodinma; APC governors and other party leaders, governors, stakeholders, and members of the APC leadership for their contributions to strengthen the women’s grassroots mobilisation and advance the administration’s agenda.

The APC PCC women mobilisation director also expressed appreciation to the various women’s groups, associations, support organisations, and political structures within the party for their unwavering commitment, solidarity, and continued support for the administration and the party’s mobilisation efforts.

She acknowledged the contributions of wives of governors, women leaders, and grassroots organisers whose activities across states, local government areas, and communities have continued to strengthen the APC’s engagement with women and expand its political reach.

Edu said their commitment, organisational capacity, and willingness to work collectively would remain indispensable to the party’s preparations for the 2027 general election.

According to her, women remain a formidable force in Nigeria’s electoral process, not only because of their numerical strength but also because of their influence within families, community associations, markets, professional bodies and local political structures.

She stressed that the APC’s mobilisation strategy would go beyond rallies and public declarations to sustained engagement, political education, and direct communication with voters, as well as election-day voters’ sensitisation and mobilisation.

Edu said the objective was to ensure that Nigerians understood the administration’s policies, assessed their impact on their lives, and made informed decisions about the country’s future.

The director identified the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) as one of the significant initiatives through which the Tinubu administration was expanding access to higher education and creating opportunities for young Nigerians to pursue their academic ambitions.

She noted that the student loan programme was helping to address financial barriers that could prevent eligible students from accessing or completing tertiary education while offering families additional support in meeting the cost of education.

According to her, “NELFUND reflects the administration’s recognition that investment in education is essential to human capital development, economic productivity, and the long-term prosperity of the country.”

She said the programme, alongside ongoing infrastructure development, economic reforms, and other sectoral interventions, formed part of the administration’s record that the APC would present to Nigerians during the election campaign.

Edu further maintained that the party would communicate these achievements in clear and practical terms, enabling citizens to understand the policies, opportunities, and reforms available to them.

She added that the 2027 election would provide an opportunity for Nigerians to evaluate the administration, of which we can proudly say that the president has performed well. “The reforms were demanding, but now is time for prosperity,” she said.

For the Women Mobilisation Directorate, she said the immediate priority was to consolidate existing structures, strengthen coordination among women’s groups, and ensure that the party’s message reached voters in both rural and urban communities.

She urged APC women to remain united, organised and committed to the party’s objectives, stressing that their collective contributions would be vital to presenting the administration’s achievements to Nigerians and consolidating support ahead of the 2027 general election.

The group noted that Umahi failed to deliver his own polling unit and ward for the APC in the 2023 presidential election and lost his senatorial bid even in his Uburu village.