Senator representing Anambra Central, Victor Umeh, has declared that any Igbo person who does not support the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, is an enemy of the Igbo people.
Umeh made the statement at a political gathering in Anambra State, in a video that has since gone viral on social media. He insisted that Obi represents the conscience of the South-East in the 2027 election and warned against abandoning him for another candidate.
“Peter is our conscience in this election. Any Igbo man who stands up to say we will not vote for Peter Obi is an enemy of the Igbo people, no matter who the person is,” Umeh said .
The former National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance argued that while political leaders from other regions were openly rallying behind their preferred candidates, Igbo leaders should not be pressured into abandoning Obi.
“People are saying that we have to support another person; if we do that, we are destroying ourselves. I’m an Igbo activist, and you can hear my voice in the Senate on all issues of national importance and particularly those that affect the Igbo,” he said .
He also issued a warning to Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo, whom he accused of working against Obi. Umeh claimed he played a major role in Soludo’s emergence as governor and said Soludo must discharge his duties honourably.
“I’m saying it so that anybody who sees him can tell me that we don’t want to fight, but he should not commit what is called an abomination by wanting to destroy his brother in the name of politics,” Umeh said .
Umeh’s remarks stand in sharp contrast to Peter Obi’s own repeated public position.
In an interview on Arise TV in April 2026, Obi urged Nigerians not to vote for him based on tribal or religious sentiments.
“I’ve said before do not vote for me because I’m from the South East. Do not vote for me because I am a Christian. Vote for me because I am committed to turning Nigeria around,” Obi said .
He has made similar statements in the past, including during the 2023 election cycle, when he told a church gathering: “Do not vote for me because I’m an Igbo man. Don’t vote for anybody because he is from the West. Do not vote for anybody because he’s from the North. This is time to vote for a human being who has conscience and trust” .
Obi has consistently framed his candidacy as a national movement rather than an ethnic project, arguing that Nigeria’s problems require competent leadership rather than regional representation .
Umeh’s comments come amid growing divisions within the South-East political class over the 2027 election.
While Umeh and groups like the Igbo Heroes and Icons Foundation have endorsed Obi , other prominent Igbo figures have taken a different stance.
Minister of Works David Umahi has dismissed Obi’s presidential ambition, saying the South-East has no presidential candidate for 2027 and describing Obi as “nobody” compared to other Igbo politicians .
Governor Soludo has also reportedly argued that the South-East should support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election and wait for a future opportunity .
The division raises questions about whether the Igbo political elite can present a unified front ahead of the 2027 general elections, even as Umeh insists that supporting Obi is the only path to the South-East producing a president.
“Nobody on the other side is saying support Peter Obi. Everybody on the other side is saying support Tinubu. But we are saying let us stand for the truth. Peter Obi; this is the time, and if he makes it, the Igbo have made it,” Umeh said .
