Senator representing Anambra Central, Victor Umeh, has declared that any Igbo person opposed to the 2027 presidential ambition of former Anambra State governor, Peter Obi, is an enemy of the South-East.
Umeh, who is a member of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), made the declaration on Saturday during an event organised by the Knights of St John International at St Patrick Catholic Church, Awka, Anambra State. A video of his remarks circulated widely on social media on Monday.
The senator described Obi, the NDC presidential candidate, as the conscience of the Igbo people in the forthcoming election, insisting that the region should rally behind his ambition.
According to him, any person from the South-East who chooses to support another presidential candidate would be acting against the collective interest of the region.
“I’m an Igbo activist; you people know me, and you hear my voice in the Senate on all issues of national importance. Peter is our conscience in this election.
“Any Igbo man who stands up to say we will not vote for Peter Obi, I’m telling you that he’s an enemy of Igbo people,” Umeh said.
He also took a swipe at Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, cautioning him against allegedly working to frustrate Obi's presidential aspiration.
Umeh urged the governor to conduct himself in a manner befitting his office, arguing that the position of governor was held in trust for the people and should not be deployed to settle political scores.
The lawmaker further claimed that he played a significant role in Soludo's emergence as governor, stressing that political disagreements should not translate into efforts to undermine fellow indigenes.
“I have been hearing a lot of things going on in this state. This government in the state, I helped install it. Nobody came here as the governor of Anambra State since 2003 without my input.
“This one that is serving, I was a principal contributor to his ascending to that office. He’s holding that office in trust for all of us. Anything he does in that office; he must discharge it with honour and nobility.
“It is not by sabotaging our own brother. I’m saying it because anybody who can see him should tell him. We don’t want fight but let him not commit abomination by wanting to destroy his brother in the name of politics,” he added.
Umeh's comments come amid growing political differences in Anambra State following Soludo's endorsement of President Bola Tinubu for a second term in office.
The governor, on Friday, announced that the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) would support Tinubu's re-election bid during the party's campaign flag-off in Awka.
Soludo also declared that APGA was targeting 50 per cent of the votes in Anambra State for the President in the 2027 general election.
The endorsement has further highlighted the political divide between Soludo and Obi, who governed Anambra before him and is now seeking the presidency under the NDC platform.
The two former allies have also been involved in a public disagreement over Obi's performance and record during his eight-year tenure as governor of the state.
Umeh, who has openly aligned himself with Obi's presidential project, attended Saturday's gathering alongside the former governor and other NDC members in Anambra.
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