2027: S-East Won’t Vote Tinubu, Enugu ADC Fires Back at Umahi

The Enugu State chapter of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has declared that the South-East will not support President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general election, escalating political tensions in the region.

The party was reacting to alleged comments attributed to the Minister of Works, David Umahi, who reportedly warned that the South-East could lose federal infrastructure projects if it failed to back Tinubu’s re-election bid.

In a statement issued in Enugu, the ADC State Secretary, Adolphus Ude, dismissed the remarks as “reckless, irresponsible and unacceptable,” accusing the minister of attempting to intimidate voters in the region.

Ude challenged Umahi to “do his worst,” insisting that the South-East would not be coerced into supporting any candidate against its political will.

He argued that the region remained politically independent and had the right to determine its electoral choices without threats or inducements.

According to him, claims that the Tinubu administration had addressed the South-East’s marginalisation were misleading, insisting that exclusion had worsened under the current government.

Ude further demanded that Umahi provide specific details of federal projects being executed in the region, including their locations and values, arguing that most referenced projects were inherited from previous administrations.

He also criticised major infrastructure initiatives such as the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and Sokoto-Badagry Highway, saying they excluded the South-East entirely.

The ADC chieftain alleged that there were no major new federal infrastructure projects ongoing in the region, adding that critical developments such as rail expansion and river dredging projects had not been implemented.

He also raised concerns over alleged administrative neglect, including limited federal appointments and reported issues affecting passport processing in the region.

Ude maintained that the South-East’s political stance ahead of 2027 remained unchanged, noting that President Tinubu had lost all five South-East states in the 2023 election and that no significant change had occurred since then.

He called on Umahi to withdraw the alleged threat and issue an apology, stressing that political engagement should be based on persuasion rather than intimidation.