A pressure group, Association of Ebonyi Indigenes Socio-Cultural in the Diaspora, AEISCID has cautioned the Minister of Works, Engr. David Nweze Umahi to stop playing divisive politics in the South East.

The warning is a reaction to what was described as divisive comments by Umahi pitching Ebonyi people against their Igbo brothers in the geopolitical zone.

The Association expressed deep concern about the recent statement “wherein the Honourable Minister of Works, Engr. David Nweze Umahi made a false claim that leaders of the State are coming under attack for saying they will not support the NDC Presidential candidate for the 2027 elections, Mr. Peter Obi, positing that Ebonyi people were not second class citizens in Igbo land that only matter during votes.”

Ambassador Paschal Oluchukwu, AEISCID President, World-wide in a statement on Monday quoted Engr. Umahi in the viral video as saying “You are calling out people like us because we said we will not vote for him and we tell our people not to vote for him, and you are insulting us”.

According to the Association, while questioning Obi’s relationship with Ebonyi people, Umahi had alleged that the former governor did not appoint any indigene of the state into his administration while serving as governor of Anambra State, adding that he further urged Peter Obi to mention one Ebonyi person that he gave an appointment to when he was governor of Anambra.

The Association as well frowned at Umahi’s self- appointed power broker in the South East who has taken it upon himself to decide who gets what appointment under the Tinubu administration.

“While digging further on his uncouth divisive narrative that Ebonyi people are not second-classcitizens to the rest of their Igbo brothers, the minister who in his cynical desperation to please his masters has since the kickoff of the 2027 electioneering campaigns appointed himself an ‘unofficial spokesperson’ of Ndi Igbo further elevated himself to the ‘god status’ by arguing that political offices should follow an established zoning arrangement.

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“In his wisdom, or rather lack of it, Umahi who has curiously become a ‘Zoning Apostle of the Latter-Day Saints’ believes that just as it is not yet the turn of the South-East to produce Nigeria’s president, it is also not the turn of Ebonyi South Senatorial District to produce the next governor of Ebonyi State.

“His words, “Just like it’s not the turn of the South East and Peter Obi to be president of Nigeria, it’s not the turn of Ebonyi South to be governor of Ebonyi State”.

 

“Continuing further on hisprimitive, unconstitutional and anti-democratic lane, the minister disclosed that he would engage with the gubernatorial candidate of the PDP in the state, Anyi Chuks, who is seeking the governorship position, on the issue of zoning.

“So, I will go and talk to Anyi Chuks to step down from his governorship campaign. It’s turn by turn,” Umahi said.

“Watching and reading Umahi’s ego-laced outbursts and his insipid divisive political rhetorics attempting futilely to pitch Anambra and the rest of the Igbos against Ebonyians, we as a socio- cultural group whose interest remains the peace, unity and progress of not only Ebonyi State but the rest of the South East and Nigeria at large wish to vehemently condemn this statements as they are shameful, uncivil, uncouth and terribly unbecoming of a leader at the level of Umahi who has not only been a serving Governor for eight years but still bearing the mantle of a minister in Tinubu’s cabinet where he is ordinarily expected to eschew hate, division and cynicism but demonstrate love, dedication and commitment to the progress and development of the South East region especially as a ‘super minister’ in the Federal Executive Council.

“This group, like the rest of Ndigbo and Nigerians have since been troubled by the senseless and relentless attacks on Peter Obi and other Igbo and Ebonyi politicians by Minister Umahi for merely fulfilling their constitutional rights to seek for elective offices like Umahi had done in past elections.

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“If these hateful and deeply hurtful comments are actually to give President Tinubu and the APC in Nigeria and Ebonyi an impression that the Party is acceptable and has any chance of winning the 2027 general elections, then Umahi must be a dreamer and herefore should be woken up from his dream.

“Needless to even remind the world that the same boastful Umahi as a sitting Governor failed woefully to deliver neither his Onuofokwuru Polling Unit nor his Umunaga-Uburu Ward to the APC in the 2023 Presidential election.

“He was also roundly defeated in his Senatorial election even in his Uburu village, though not to the consternation of Ebonyians who dutifully wanted to pay him back in his Emperor-ic coin after he made himself a near maximum dictator and ran Ebonyi like a private enterprise as governor between 2015-2023.

 

“We at AEISCID are even further disturbed like the rest of reasonable Ebonyians how a man who profited immensely from a keenly contested 2015 Governorship election, refusing to drop his ambition despite the selection of the then Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu from the same Ebonyi South zone where he hails from by his boss and predecessor, Chief Martin Elechi would suddenly awaken a false zoning debate just to perpetuate his puppet, Rt. Hon. Francis Nwifuru in power beyond 2027 despite the fact that the Governor has failed woefully to perform in every aspect of governance.

“For Umahi, our clear understanding of his outlandish position to persuade the PDP candidate in Ebonyi 2027 Governorship election, Chief Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii to step down is simply so he can continue to exert his influence on the State’s purse while using his stooge, Nwifuru as an extension of his reign.

 

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“Any wonder he single-handedly nominated his son, Osborn Umahi as a Council Chairman for his Ohaozara LGA while rumours are rife that he’s already prepping him to deputize another stooge he would select to succeed Nwifuru in 2031 while working for the same Osborn to become Governor in 2039? We charge the PDP guber candidate, Odii to ignore Umahi’s egocentric outbursts and antics which we strongly suspect is borne out of inducement.

 

“Odii should rather continue to provide alternative ideas to Ebonyi people while we urge Ebonyi voters to continue to support and vote for him in the 2027 governorship elections as they, not Umahi would be the ultimate deciders of the election and their future and so that the State can be liberated from the clutches of godfathers like Umahi and several other stakeholders kneeling heavily on the neck of the Salt ofthe nation such that the State can no longer breathe.

 

“AEISCID has sine realized and aretherefore alarmed that this is the main reason there is no significant development project seriously ongoing or completed in the State in nearly 4 years of the Nwifuru administration,” the statement read.

 

The Association gave Engr Umahi 72 hours only to recant his divisive statements and apologize to Obi, Odii, Ebonyians and the rest of Ndigbo or face legal consequences while also urging the Tinubu led administration to reign in their dog.

The body added that Umahi’s role as a member of FEC should be to preach peace, unity and togetherness of every Nigerian regardless of political differences and not to incite hate and divisive commentaries especially at this fragile campaign and election season.