“South-East won’t vote for Tinubu” — ADC fires back at Umahi over projects threat
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.
It also dismissed alleged comments attributed to the Minister of Works, David Umahi, suggesting that the region could lose federal infrastructure projects if it fails to back the President as reported by Vanguard.
The party challenged Umahi to “do his worst,” insisting that no form of intimidation or political pressure would influence the voting choices of the South-East electorate.
The controversy follows remarks reportedly made by Umahi during an inspection of federal road and bridge projects in Ebonyi State.
He was said to have urged the region to support Tinubu’s re-election or risk losing ongoing federal projects. He also claimed that the South-East had regained political relevance under the current administration.
Reacting in a statement, the Enugu State Secretary of the ADC, Adolphus Ude, described the comments as “reckless, irresponsible and unacceptable.”
He accused Umahi of attempting to blackmail and intimidate the South-East into political submission ahead of 2027.
Ude, a former founding Deputy Chairman of the APC in Enugu State, maintained that the region would not be coerced into supporting any candidate. He insisted that the people remain politically independent.
He also rejected claims that the Tinubu administration had addressed the marginalisation of the South-East. According to him, exclusion of the region has worsened under the current government.
Ude challenged Umahi to specify the major federal projects being executed in the South-East, including their locations and value.
He argued that key national projects such as the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway and the Sokoto–Badagry Highway do not adequately include the region.
He further stated that many of the cited projects were inherited from previous administrations, adding that no major new federal infrastructure projects are currently ongoing in the South-East.
He also questioned the status of the River Niger dredging project and noted the absence of a functional rail line in the region.
On political representation, he alleged that the South-East remains underrepresented in the Federal Executive Council, with only five ministers, three of whom are ministers of state.
He also raised concerns about passport processing, claiming that residents are now forced to travel to Abuja to obtain international passports due to deactivated machines in the region.
Ude maintained that the South-East owes no political loyalty to President Tinubu, recalling that he lost all five states in the region in the 2023 election.
He added that nothing has changed politically ahead of the 2027 polls. He therefore called on Umahi to withdraw the alleged threat and apologise to Ndigbo for what he described as a condescending remark.