By Nkechi Eze
The Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, has led political stakeholders in Ebonyi State to endorse President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru for re-election in the 2027 general elections.
The endorsement was made at a town hall meeting with Ebonyi stakeholders held at the Christian Ecumenical Centre, Abakaliki, on Sunday, November 1, 2026, organised by the Directorate of Infrastructure, Mobilisation and Sensitisation of the 2027 APC Presidential Campaign Council.
The meeting attracted serving and former senators, members of the State House of Assembly, former and serving members of the State Executive Council, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) leaders, traditional rulers, presidents-general and other prominent stakeholders.
Speaking at the gathering, Umahi urged traditional rulers, religious leaders and political stakeholders to take an active role in determining the political future of Ebonyi State and Nigeria, stressing that political participation was essential to democracy, development and the protection of collective interests.
He particularly challenged traditional rulers in the Southeast to discard the perception that politics was outside their responsibilities, noting that their roles in promoting peace and community development also required them to guide their people towards making informed political choices.
“It is only in the Southeast that our traditional fathers will say they don’t play politics. Politics is about democracy; it is about development, and our traditional fathers are about development. They are about making the right choices,” he said.
The minister also called on religious leaders to move beyond their pulpits and participate actively in conversations and processes that shape leadership and governance.
He lamented what he described as the prolonged political silence of Ebonyi people, insisting that the state’s future depended on their willingness to make deliberate choices and actively defend their interests.
Earlier, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement (Southeast), Hon. Chioma Nweze, called for greater political unity in the region, arguing that voting collectively would strengthen its bargaining power and influence in national decision-making.
Nweze said the Southeast’s inability to support the winning political platform had weakened its position in negotiations at the centre.
“As Southeast people, our votes can only swing in our favour if we vote in a bloc. We have always negotiated from outside the room because we don’t vote for the winning party, and marginalisation is hard to fix from outside the room,” she said.
The endorsement motion was moved by Senator Julius Ali Ucha, who urged eligible voters and political leaders in Ebonyi to support the APC and all its candidates in the 2027 elections.
Ucha noted that the state had benefited from the present administration, particularly through the appointment of Umahi as Minister of Works, and called for collective political support for the party.
Seconding the motion, Senator Anthony Agbo commended Umahi’s political leadership and described him as a prominent figure whose accomplishments had brought recognition to Ebonyi State.
Following the adoption of the motion, Umahi called on stakeholders to translate the endorsement into practical political mobilisation, declaring support for Tinubu’s re-election to enable him complete his constitutionally permitted eight-year tenure.
He also endorsed Governor Nwifuru for a second term, expressing the position that the governor should complete his eight-year tenure.
Umahi further declared that the next governorship leadership should come from the North Senatorial Zone, while urging stakeholders to take the resolution beyond the meeting venue through door-to-door mobilisation across communities.
He said the support for the President was also intended to facilitate the completion of ongoing federal projects in Ebonyi, attract new infrastructure projects and secure more appointments for the state.
The stakeholders unanimously affirmed the endorsement of Tinubu, Nwifuru and other APC candidates across the presidential, governorship, National Assembly and State Assembly elections, amid applause and ovations.
