S-East won’t support Tinubu in 2027, Enugu ADC tells Umahi

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Enugu State has declared that the South-East will not support President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general election, dismissing alleged comments by David Umahi, the minister of works linking federal projects to electoral support for the president.

The party said no amount of intimidation or political pressure would force the region to vote for Tinubu.

The reaction followed remarks reportedly made by Umahi during an inspection of federal road and bridge projects in Ebonyi State, where he allegedly urged the South-East to support Tinubu’s re-election or risk losing ongoing infrastructure projects.

Umahi was also said to have claimed that the South-East had regained political relevance under the current administration through appointments and federal infrastructure projects in the region.

Reacting in a statement on Sunday, Adolphus Ude, Enugu ADC secretary described the alleged comments as reckless and unacceptable.

Ude accused the minister of attempting to blackmail and intimidate the people of the South-East into supporting Tinubu ahead of the 2027 election.

According to him, the region remains politically independent and cannot be compelled to support any candidate against its will.

He also rejected claims that the Tinubu administration had addressed the marginalisation of the South-East, insisting that exclusion of the region had worsened under the current government.

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

He argued that the South-East was excluded from major federal projects such as the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the Sokoto-Badagry Highway.

The ADC chieftain further claimed that most of the projects cited by Umahi were inherited from previous administrations, adding that there were no significant new federal projects currently ongoing in the region.

He also raised concerns over the absence of rail infrastructure in the South-East and alleged that passport issuing machines across the region had been deactivated, forcing residents to travel to Abuja for international passports.

Ude maintained that the South-East owed Tinubu no political loyalty, noting that the president lost in all five states of the region during the 2023 presidential election.

He called on Umahi to withdraw the alleged threat and apologise to the people of the South-East.