Umahi Urges Ebonyi Voters to Reject Peter Obi, Revives Debate Over Anambra–Ebonyi Relations

Abakaliki, Ebonyi State — Minister of Works and former Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi, has called on voters in Ebonyi State to use their ballots to oppose former Anambra State Governor and 2027 presidential hopeful Peter Obi.

Umahi made the remarks while accusing Obi and other political figures from Anambra of treating Ebonyi people as “second-class citizens.” He argued that political appeals for South-East unity should not, in his view, be used to overlook what he described as past instances of marginalisation against Ebonyi people.

“Use your votes to fight against Peter Obi. They are enemies of Ndi Ebonyi; they don’t love us,” Umahi said, according to the statement provided for publication.

He further challenged Obi to identify an Ebonyi indigene who received a political appointment during Obi’s tenure as governor of Anambra State.

Umahi raises issue of Abakaliki Street

A major part of Umahi’s argument centres on the controversy surrounding the renaming of Abakaliki Street in Awka, Anambra State.

The street became the subject of public controversy in 2018 after the Anambra State Government under then-Governor Willie Obiano renamed it “Club Street.” At the time, Umahi was governor of Ebonyi State and publicly condemned the move.

Contemporary reports show that Umahi criticised the renaming and said he had contacted Obiano in an attempt to have the original name restored. He described the issue as contrary to the spirit of brotherhood between Anambra and Ebonyi and argued that streets named after communities and towns from across the South-East should be respected.

This historical record is significant because Umahi’s current criticism references the Abakaliki Street controversy, although the available reports indicate that Umahi did publicly speak out about the matter at the time. The controversy occurred during Obiano’s administration, rather than during Peter Obi’s tenure as governor.

The Anambra State Government subsequently clarified in 2025 that the renaming had taken place under Obiano’s administration, not under Governor Chukwuma Soludo.

A long-running political disagreement

The latest remarks are not the first time Umahi has publicly opposed Obi’s political ambitions.

In 2018, when Obi was selected as Atiku Abubakar’s running mate for the 2019 presidential election, Umahi criticised the process through which the ticket was put together. He argued that Ebonyi and Imo had not been adequately represented in the consultations surrounding the selection.

At the time, however, Umahi explicitly said he was not opposed to Obi personally, describing him as his friend and competent for the position.

Obi subsequently visited Ebonyi and met with Umahi in Abakaliki while seeking support for his vice-presidential bid. During that meeting, Umahi reiterated that his objection had been about the process rather than Obi personally.

The political relationship later changed significantly. In 2022, Umahi openly declared that Ebonyi would support the All Progressives Congress rather than Obi’s Labour Party in the 2023 presidential election.

Obi’s performance in Ebonyi in 2023

Despite Umahi’s opposition to Obi during the 2023 election, the voting results in Ebonyi produced a different outcome from the prediction that the state would reject Obi.

According to figures reported from the Independent National Electoral Commission’s declared results, Peter Obi of the Labour Party won Ebonyi State with 259,738 votes. Bola Tinubu of the APC received 42,402 votes, while Atiku Abubakar of the PDP recorded 13,503 votes.

The result demonstrated that political endorsements by state-level leaders did not necessarily determine how every voter in Ebonyi cast their ballot.

The 2027 political context

The latest exchange comes as Nigeria’s political parties and prospective candidates begin positioning themselves ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Peter Obi has emerged as a major political figure in the opposition space. In May 2026, Premium Times reported that he had been screened and cleared by the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) to contest its presidential primary.

His political support also extends into Ebonyi. In July 2026, Vanguard reported that Ben Ifeanyi Odoh, identified as the NDC candidate for Ebonyi Central Senatorial District, publicly expressed support for Obi’s presidential bid and described him as having the capacity to lead Nigeria.

This indicates that the political debate in Ebonyi is not uniform, with different political actors and voters holding differing positions on Obi and the 2027 election.

The wider question of South-East political unity

Umahi’s argument also touches on a longstanding political question in the South-East: whether regional unity should translate into collective voting patterns or whether individual states and communities should independently assess candidates based on their interests and records.

The debate over Abakaliki Street illustrates how issues involving identity, representation and inter-state relations can remain politically relevant years after the original controversy.

For voters in Ebonyi, the 2027 election is ultimately likely to involve broader questions beyond the relationship between Umahi and Obi, including economic development, infrastructure, federal appointments, regional representation, security, employment and the candidates’ respective policy programmes.

As the political contest develops, claims made by competing political actors will continue to require scrutiny against documented records and independently verifiable evidence.