2027: Umeh, Ogene Dismiss Former South East Governors’ Endorsement Of Tinubu

Two Anambra State National Assembly lawmakers, Senator Victor Umeh (Anambra Central) and Hon. Afam Ogene representing Ogbaru federal constituency have dismissed the recent endorsement of President Bola Tinubu for re-election in the 2027 general election by some former governors of the South East states as inconsequential.

About six ex-governors from the South East region, including the incumbent Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, his immediate predecessor, Martin Elechi of Ebonyi State, Sullivan Chime of Enugu State and his immediate successor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi; Senator Chris Ngige (Anambra) and Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia) had recently gathered at Enugu in Enugu State and endorsed Tinubu for re-election.

Their spokesperson was Minister of Works, David Umahi who listed some other ex-governors of the states in the zone, except the presidential aspirant under the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the coming general election, and, ex-Anambra State governor, Peter Obi saying that they sent in their regrets for their inability to attend the meeting because they were overseas for “medical appointments”.

Umahi had, however, assured that in their next meeting which would hold soon “over 99 percent” of the former ex-South East governors would attend.

But Umeh and Ogene who spoke separately to newsmen shortly in Awka, yesterday said that Umahi as a serving minister simply gathered his “colleagues to rehabilitate them”.

Umeh said that the endorsement of Tinubu for re-election by the former governors should not come as a surprise as according to him all of them are known members of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Ogene on his part insisted that none of the former governors can today produce anyone as chairman of their respective local government areas.

He said for instance that some of them like Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu as incumbent governors of their states of Enugu and Abia respectively lost election in their Senatorial zones in 2023 general election.

Umeh particularly slammed the Courts and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the leadership crisis in the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Umeh who first reacted to the judgements of the court over the ADC’s leadership issues, and, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)’s withdrawal of recognition of David Mark as ADC’s national chairman described the actions of the two institutions as “murder” against the nation’s democracy.

Umeh particularly argued that the Supreme Court had already made a pronouncement that “Courts do not have jurisdiction on any matter concerning the leadership of any political party”.

Umeh said: “Well, the controversy over the party (ADC) leadership is very simple and straightforward. We are talking about the court making an order in the leadership of African Democratic Congress, and people are busy discussing the order made by the court, which INEC, headed by a professor of law and a senior advocate of Nigeria, feigned ignorance that no court in Nigeria has jurisdiction to entertain any matter bordering on internal affairs of a political party or leadership of a political party.

“The Supreme Court has delivered judgment a number of times in the past on this, the oldest was in 1983. The Supreme Court said it that courts do not answer political questions. Issues concerning internal affairs of political party is not justiciable. Issues concerning leadership of a political party are not justiciable. In other words, you can’t bring to court such issues since 1983.

“Then last year, for example, the Supreme Court in the case in the appeal brought by Senator Nenadi Usman against Julius Abure and the Labour Party, emphasized again that court has no jurisdiction to determine the leadership of a political party, or to get into any disputes involving internal affairs of a party or leadership of a political party. That was delivered on the 4th of April, 2025.

“Then this year, we, the National Assembly amended the Electoral Act, and in Section 83, subsection 5 of the Electoral Act 2026, as amended, the provision says that no court in Nigeria shall entertain jurisdiction to hear any matter or suit concerning internal affairs of a political party. Is there any ambiguity in this?

“So whether the Federal High Court of Justice Nwite made any order or raised any issue, it cannot stand. And the Court of Appeal that made the damning order that INEC wants to rely on, to say now, ‘oh, the order is that we should return to status quo and nobody should do anything’, that will render the trial court proceedings nugatory.

“The same court of appeal has no jurisdiction, because the matter in dispute is who are the leaders of ADC. Is it David Mark and Rauf Aregbshola, or Nafiu Bala Gombe?

“So the Federal High Court has no jurisdiction, the Court of Appeal has no jurisdiction, even Supreme Court has no jurisdiction by this explanation. So they now made that order and INEC lapped on it to begin to say that there are issues in.

“That is murder. What they committed is murder and is unacceptable. They cannot do that. Nigeria is a country that is governed by laws”, Umeh further asserted .