Politics

Umahi Declares Ebonyi’s Support for Tinubu, Says South-East Moving Away from OBIdient Movement

Published by admin on September 27th, 2025.

Umahi Declares Ebonyi’s Support for Tinubu, Says South-East Moving Away from OBIdient Movement

Nigeria’s Minister of Works, David Umahi, has stated that the South-East region—particularly Ebonyi State—will back President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 general elections, distancing itself from the OBIdient Movement led by Peter Obi.

Speaking at the 2025 Ohanivo New Yam Festival held in Onicha Local Government Area of Ebonyi State on Saturday, Umahi said that years of political exclusion have reshaped the region’s outlook and allegiances.

“We’re no longer OBIdient,” Umahi said. “We’ve experienced too much marginalisation in the past. Now, we are supporting the man who has given us a voice—President Bola Tinubu. Ebonyi is firmly behind him.”

This statement comes amid Peter Obi’s sustained popularity, especially among younger Nigerians, despite his loss in the 2023 presidential race. Umahi, a former governor of Ebonyi State, described the previous election as a misstep and suggested that the South-East electorate has since become more politically discerning.

He commended President Tinubu for what he described as inclusive policies and developmental efforts in the South-East, asserting that these have given the region a renewed sense of importance.

“When the time comes, we will show gratitude through the ballot,” he said. “President Tinubu’s administration has made tangible impacts here, and we must not forget that. In 2023, we made an error in judgment—but we’ve learned from that experience.”

Umahi’s comments reflect broader shifts in the region’s political dynamics as Nigeria approaches the 2027 elections, with debates intensifying over regional interests, national representation, and party loyalty.