ADC tackles Umahi over alleged threat to South-East voters ahead of 2027

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Enugu State has dismissed alleged comments by Minister of Works David Umahi suggesting that the South-East could lose federal projects if the region fails to support President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 election.

The party maintained that the South-East would not vote for Tinubu and challenged Umahi to “do his worst.”

Umahi reportedly made the comments while inspecting federal road and bridge projects in Ebonyi State, where he allegedly urged residents of the region to support Tinubu’s second-term ambition.

He was also quoted as saying that the South-East had regained political relevance under the current administration due to ongoing infrastructure projects and his appointment as Minister of Works.

But in a statement issued yesterday, Enugu ADC Secretary, Adolphus Ude, condemned the alleged remarks, describing them as “reckless, irresponsible and unacceptable.”

Ude, who is also a former founding Deputy Chairman of the APC in Enugu State, accused Umahi of trying to intimidate and blackmail the South-East politically.

According to him, no amount of pressure would compel the region to support Tinubu in the next presidential election.

“The people of the South-East are politically independent and cannot be coerced into voting for any candidate against their will,” he stated.

Ude also disputed Umahi’s claim that the Tinubu administration had addressed the marginalisation of the South-East.

He argued that the region remained excluded from major federal infrastructure projects, including the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the Sokoto-Badagry Highway.

“Umahi should mention the major infrastructure projects being executed by the Tinubu government in the South-East and state their locations and value,” he said.

According to the ADC official, many of the projects being referenced by the minister were inherited from previous governments.

“The long-awaited dredging of the River Niger is not ongoing, and the South-East still has no rail line. So, what projects are being threatened?” Ude queried.

He further alleged that the South-East remained the most marginalised geopolitical zone under the Tinubu administration, citing what he described as limited ministerial representation for the region.

Ude also claimed that residents across the South-East now travel to Abuja to obtain international passports because passport issuing machines had allegedly been deactivated in the region.

The ADC chieftain noted that Tinubu lost in all five South-East states during the 2023 election and insisted that the political mood of the region had not changed ahead of 2027.

He therefore urged Umahi to apologise to Ndigbo over the alleged remarks.

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