DON’T KEEP QUIET, TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR POLITICAL FUTURE, UMAHI TELLS EBONYI LEADERS AS STAKEHOLDERS UNANIMOUSLY ENDORSE TINUBU, NWIFURU
The Honourable Minister of Works, Senator Engr. David Umahi, CON, has called on traditional rulers, religious leaders, political stakeholders and the people of Ebonyi State to take an active role in shaping the political future of the state and the country, stressing that the responsibility of making the right leadership choices rests with the people.
Umahi made the call on Sunday, November 1, 2026, during a Town Hall Meeting with Ebonyi stakeholders, organised by the Directorate of Infrastructure, Mobilisation and Sensitisation of the 2027 APC Presidential Campaign Council at the Christian Ecumenical Centre, Abakaliki.
The meeting, which attracted serving and former senators, members of the State House of Assembly, serving and former members of the State Executive Council, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) leaders, traditional rulers, presidents-general and other prominent stakeholders, ended with a unanimous endorsement of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru for re-election in 2027.
Addressing the gathering, Umahi urged traditional and religious leaders, particularly in the Southeast, to move beyond the notion that politics is outside their responsibility. He explained that political participation is closely connected to democracy, development and the future of the people.
He noted that traditional rulers, given their responsibility to promote peace and development in their communities, have an important role to play in guiding the people towards making informed political decisions.
“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 charged religious leaders not to limit their responsibilities to preaching from the pulpit but to become part of the conversations and processes that shape leadership and governance.
“If the religious leaders only stay on their pulpit to tell us what we are not doing right, they are missing it. They have to be part of the foundation of our leaders. And they say that the only way for evil to thrive is for good men to keep quiet,” he stated.
Recalling the political journey of Ebonyi State and the need for its people to speak with one voice, Umahi observed that the state had remained silent for too long on issues that directly affected its interests.
“We have kept quiet so much as Ebonyi people. So, the essence of our coming is: choose you this day the path that we should follow. We are not going to express sentiments here. We are people that God has liberated,” he declared.
He further stressed that freedom and development must go hand in hand with deliberate choices and active participation, maintaining that no community could secure what rightfully belonged to it by remaining silent.
“You can’t keep quiet and be able to get that which belongs to you. We have been liberated, but the choice to be free is in our hands. And no matter the sentiments, the future of Ebonyi State is in the hands of Ebonyi people,” Umahi added.
Earlier, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement (Southeast), Hon. Chioma Nweze, Esq., called for greater political unity among the people of the Southeast, stressing that the region’s collective voting strength would give it a stronger voice in national decision-making.
She explained that the region’s inability to vote for the winning political platform had often weakened its bargaining power and made it difficult to address complaints of marginalisation.
“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.
According to her, the region must position itself to participate meaningfully in decisions at the centre rather than remain on the sidelines.
“We have to be able to take our seats. We have to have a voice inside when decisions are taken. We have to have the leverage to ask for more if we can go to the centre and say, these are the votes we bring; we need more appointments,” she added.
The high point of the meeting was the formal passage of a vote of confidence and endorsement of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru for re-election in 2027.
Moving the motion, Senator Julius Ali Ucha declared that Ebonyi had become one of the states benefiting significantly from the present administration, particularly through the responsibilities entrusted to its son, Senator Umahi, as Minister of Works.
He noted that Umahi had been given the authority and responsibility to contribute to the development of not only Ebonyi State but the entire country, describing the opportunity as one that should inspire collective political support.
Consequently, he moved that all eligible voters and leaders of Ebonyi State adopt the APC as their political party and endorse all its candidates, from President Tinubu to Governor Nwifuru, National Assembly members and State Assembly candidates, for the 2027 general elections.
Seconding the motion, Senator Anthony Agbo praised Umahi, describing him as an exceptional political figure whose leadership and achievements had brought honour to Ebonyi State and demonstrated the capacity of the Igbo person to excel in leadership.
“Senator David Umahi, you are a phenomenon. You are a mighty man. There is no political weather that is shaking you anywhere. You have displayed that primordial traits of the Igbo person that distinguishes an Igbo man, and through you, people have come to understand what an Igbo man can do in leadership,” Agbo said.
He further commended the Minister for his resilience in the face of political opposition, arguing that his growing political status and accomplishments had made him a prominent figure in Nigeria’s political landscape.
“Everybody wants to be like you, and those who cannot be like you must attack you. But I tell you, your personality has grown so mighty that it has become so impervious to the blunt teeth of the opposition. So, I commend you. You are a great and mighty son of this state, and you have made us proud by doing what the Napoleons could not do in the history of this country,” he declared.
Agbo added that Umahi’s name would remain prominent in Nigeria’s history for a long time, irrespective of political differences, before formally seconding the motion.
Putting the motion to a vote, Umahi called on the people of Ebonyi State to translate their endorsement into practical political action. He declared that the state would massively support President Tinubu’s re-election to enable him complete his constitutionally permitted eight-year tenure and consolidate on the development projects already initiated.
He specifically linked the state’s support for the President to the completion of ongoing federal projects in Ebonyi, the initiation of new ones and the attraction of more appointments to the state.
He also declared support for Governor Francis Nwifuru to complete his eight-year tenure, while expressing his position that the next governor should emerge from the North Senatorial Zone and be Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru.
Umahi further stated that the resolution reached at the meeting would not end within the walls of the Christian Ecumenical Centre but would be taken directly to the people in their homes and communities.
“That Ebonyi State will massively vote for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to complete his eight years in office and for all the projects in Ebonyi State to be completed and for new ones to be initiated, and for more appointments to Ebonyi State,” he declared.
He continued: “That the next Governor of Ebonyi State shall come from the North Senatorial Zone and shall be Francis Ogbonnaya Nwifuru to complete his eight years. That we will take this message from door to door, that Ebonyi State is APC and we will vote all APC candidates from top to bottom.”
The motion received overwhelming affirmation from the stakeholders, accompanied by enthusiastic applause and loud ovations.
Francis Nwaze, FIPMD
Senior Special Assistant to the Honourable Minister of Works (Media)
November 4, 2026
