Igbo Women Blast Umahi, Reject Northern Candidacy in 2027, Back Peter Obi for Presidency

The Igbo Women Assembly (IWA) has strongly criticised Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, over his recent claim that President Bola Tinubu has been fair to the South East. The group also dismissed Nollywood actor-turned-politician Kenneth Okonkwo’s assertion that only a Northern candidate can defeat President Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.

Senator Umahi had stated that the South East should not expect to produce a president in 2027 and should instead support President Tinubu’s re-election bid. In a fiery response, IWA described both Umahi’s and Okonkwo’s positions as “defeatist rhetoric,” accusing Umahi of displaying “a slave mentality and sycophantic tendencies.”

In a statement by IWA National President, Lolo Nneka Chimezie, the group challenged Umahi to provide evidence of any exceptional treatment or projects President Tinubu has delivered to the South East to justify his claim of fairness.

“Where is the evidence of Tinubu’s love for Ndigbo?” IWA asked, citing ongoing marginalisation in federal appointments and infrastructure neglect. “Why is the Enugu-Aba rail project still dormant? Why is Mazi Nnamdi Kanu still in detention? And why do two out of the five ministers from the South East serve in junior roles, while a South West state has three ministers?”

IWA lamented that Tinubu’s administration has not differentiated itself from past governments in addressing the political and economic exclusion of the Igbo people. They urged Umahi and other Igbo politicians to emulate leaders from other regions who prioritise regional interests over personal political gains.

The group further condemned the habit of some Igbo elites who, according to them, “prefer to serve their paymasters at the expense of their own people,” and warned Umahi to learn from the fate of past Igbo politicians who were “used and dumped.”

On Kenneth Okonkwo’s recent comment suggesting only a Northern candidate can defeat Tinubu, IWA expressed disappointment, cautioning him not to tarnish his growing public image with what they described as “suspicious and politically dangerous rhetoric.”

“We hold Kenneth Okonkwo in high regard for his commitment to the Igbo cause, second only to Nnamdi Kanu,” IWA said. “However, his recent comments risk alienating the very people who admire him. He must not let political sentiment derail his path or align him with forces holding the country back.”

The group stressed that the 2023 presidential election, where Peter Obi garnered over six million votes without a traditional party structure, is proof that Nigerians are ready to support a competent Southern candidate, especially from the South East.

IWA emphasised that Obi’s campaign transcends ethnicity and party politics, representing a national demand for competence, accountability, and justice.

The group also cautioned the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and its coalition against fielding a Northern candidate in 2027. “If the ADC fails to present a Southern candidate with nationwide appeal like Peter Obi, it risks alienating the entire Southern electorate,” they warned. “The South is yet to complete its rightful turn. Any attempt by the North to reclaim power prematurely will face unified resistance.”

In closing, IWA called on the Igbo political class to “stop sabotaging their own” and rally behind credible leaders capable of delivering meaningful change, warning that Nigeria’s suffering masses will reject betrayal at the ballot box.