Works minister David Umahi has urged Igbos in the South-East to support President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election. Mr Umahi made the appeal on Sunday in Abakaliki at a town hall meeting organised by the APC Presidential Campaign Council. The meeting was organised by the council’s Directorate of Infrastructure, Mobilisation and Sensitisation.
 
 
He dismissed Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, questioning his superiority over prominent Ebonyi politicians, stating, “Who is Peter Obi better than? Is he better than Sam Egwu? Is he better than Elias Mbam? Is he better than the lion of the South-East, myself? Is he better than Anyim Pius?”
 
 
The former Ebonyi governor argued that supporting Mr Tinubu for another four years would strengthen the South-East’s prospects of producing Nigeria’s next president. He said the region should pursue its presidential ambition through strategic political alliances rather than sentiments and hate speeches.
 
 
“There is no way an Igbo man, after staying for 60 years, will want to be president for four years,” Mr Umahi said. “There is nobody who can accept that. The North has not accepted to be president for four years.”
 
 
Mr Umahi said supporting Mr Tinubu would demonstrate the South-East’s willingness to accommodate other regions’ political interests.
 
 
He said, “We are supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to finish his remaining four years so that the South-East would have strategically supported another region. So that when it is our turn, we will not get this thing by hate speech. They will not give it to us by sentiments.”
 
 
Mr Umahi urged religious and traditional leaders, particularly the Christian Association of Nigeria, to openly support Mr Tinubu.
 
 
“Do not sit on the fence. CAN should not keep quiet. Let us toe the path that must sustain our freedom,” he urged, and maintained that the South-East had enjoyed increased political inclusion under the Tinubu administration. “Igbo man needs wisdom, not sentiments. Igbo man should not allow people to be dishing hate speech on social media on their behalf.”
 
 
The minister pledged that Ebonyi would deliver 1.3 million votes for Mr Tinubu and Governor Francis Nwifuru in the 2027 elections.
 
 
He said the state had about 1.8 million registered voters, insisting that delivering fewer votes would be a disservice.
 
 
“If we are not donating 1.3 million votes for the president and the governor, we are doing ourselves a disservice,” he said.
 
 
(NAN)