The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has strongly condemned the endorsement of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a second term by South-East stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC), describing it as a betrayal of Igbo interests amid ongoing marginalisation under the current administration.
In a press release issued yesterday, Comrade Adolphus Ude, National Coordinator of ADC Like-Minds and former Deputy Chairman of APC in Enugu State, accused the region’s APC governors of prioritising personal gains over the welfare of Ndigbo.
The criticism follows a high-level APC meeting in Enugu on Saturday, where three South-East APC governors, lawmakers, and party leaders pledged to mobilise votes for Tinubu’s re-election in the 2027 general elections.
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Ude argued that the endorsement ignores the harsh realities faced by the Igbo people since Tinubu assumed office on 29 May 2023.
“Nothing has been done by Tinubu in the South-East geo-political zone to warrant anybody in Igboland to endorse him for re-election,” he stated.
He highlighted the administration’s alleged neglect in federal infrastructure, intervention funds, and political appointments, claiming the South-East has been sidelined for over 31 months.
Pointing to specific grievances, Ude lamented the destruction of Igbo-owned properties in Lagos following the 2023 elections, attributing it to voting patterns.
“Hard-earned properties of Igbos are being destroyed in Lagos… whereas their brothers and sisters are roaming the streets of Lagos homeless,” he said.
He criticised the governors for convening in an air-conditioned hotel to issue the endorsement instead of addressing these issues.
Ude further challenged the governors’ call for alignment with the “centre,” questioning its benefits.
“If Igbos could not benefit anything from their purported alliance with Tinubu in the past 31 months, is it in the remaining 16 months… that he will create a state for the South-East?”
He insisted the endorsement was orchestrated by a few elites and did not reflect the views of the marginalised masses.
Drawing historical parallels, Ude contrasted the current leadership with the era of Dr Michael Okpara, Eastern Nigeria’s premier in the 1960s.
Under Okpara, the region experienced rapid economic growth through agriculture and industry, rivalling the Asian Tigers.
“Okpara invested heavily in agriculture… establishing a gas plant, cement and asbestos factories,” Ude recalled, noting Malaysia’s palm produce imports from Eastern Nigeria.
In contrast, he accused today’s governors of pursuing luxury projects like hotels and state airlines, funded by heavy taxation and high electricity tariffs, rather than reviving agriculture.
“They are killing the poor masses with taxation,” he said, adding that local government allocations in Lagos alone surpass those for the entire South-East.
Ude also queried federal disparities, citing N3.9 trillion in projects approved for Lagos in two years, a $1 billion port modernisation for Apapa and Tin Can Island, and a $700 million contract to a firm linked to the Chagoury Group.
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“How much did the President approve for the dredging of River Niger, so that ships will start anchoring in Onitsha?” he asked. He claimed no significant agricultural interventions or funds have reached the South-East.
On national matters, Ude referenced police officers protesting unpaid benefits after 35 years of service and international perceptions, including a Canadian court’s ruling labelling Nigeria a “terrorist nation” and former US President Donald Trump’s description of it as a “disgraced nation.”
Ude urged the governors to focus on regional development rather than alliances that exploit the masses. “Let them look for something serious to do in the region,” he concluded, calling for an end to such endorsements.
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