2027: Umahi suffers backlash in Ebonyi over campaign for Tinubu

A diaspora group representing Ebonyi indigenes has dismissed Minister of Works David Umahi’s claim that he can deliver South-East votes for President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general elections, describing the boast as "unfounded and ego-driven."

The Association of Ebonyi Indigenes Socio-Cultural in the Diaspora (AEISCID) released a strongly worded statement on Thursday, warning the Tinubu administration to be wary of Umahi’s promises.

The group said Umahi lacks the political relevance to influence the region’s leaders or voters.

“Umahi has no political relevance to command or influence the South-East. Even as a sitting governor, he couldn’t secure a win in his own senatorial district in 2023 without relying on alleged backdoor tactics,” said Ambassador Pascal Oluchukwu, AEISCID president.

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The group also criticised Umahi’s denial of marginalisation in the region, highlighting the ongoing detention of Nnamdi Kanu and the lack of federal attention to regional issues.

“People of the region are yet to see any vehement commitments from leaders like Umahi to persuade the Tinubu administration to fix the real issues affecting our people,” Oluchukwu added.

Citing abandoned infrastructure and deteriorating road conditions, the group pointed to ongoing but incomplete federal road projects in the region, including Enugu-Port Harcourt and Onitsha-Owerri highways.

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“Umahi is more interested in impressing his paymasters and sharing gains than in delivering results,” AEISCID said, calling him “a conduit executioner” for so-called ambitious federal projects.

The statement concluded with a warning to President Tinubu: “Umahi represents a greedy politician trying to pose as a spokesperson for a region where he holds zero influence.”