The Enugu State chapter of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has strongly condemned recent statements made by Minister of Works Dave Umahi, warning that the South-East region will not be forced into supporting President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 elections. In a sharp response, the party declared that even under duress, the region’s electorate will not cast ballots for Tinubu, accusing his administration of worsening the marginalization of the Igbo people.
Comrade Adolphus Ude, the ADC secretary in Enugu and a former deputy chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, issued a press release on Sunday rebuking Umahi for what he described as reckless and intimidating rhetoric. Ude asserted that the South-East has a history of independent voting and will not succumb to threats or coercion. He challenged Umahi to provide concrete evidence of new federally funded infrastructure projects in the region, arguing that the so-called major projects are merely inherited from previous administrations.
Ude pointed out that no new visible federal infrastructure exists in the South-East under Tinubu, citing the absence of rail lines or the dredging of River Niger. He also highlighted that the region’s passport issuance machines have been deactivated, forcing Igbos to travel to Abuja for travel documents. Furthermore, he noted that despite having five ministers in the Federal Executive Council, three are junior ministers, while Ogun State alone boasts four ministers.
The ADC official recalled that in 2023, Tinubu lost decisively in all five South-East states, including Umahi’s home state of Ebonyi, where he secured less than 13% of the vote. He urged Umahi to withdraw his threats and apologize to the people of the South-East for his dismissive comments.