…Urges Arise TV Morning Show Anchors to Note Umeh’s Remarks as Threats, Infraction
An opposition politician, national politics commentator and National Vice Chairman South West Labour Party,Com. Abayomi Arabambi, has condemned Senator Victor Umeh’s reported declaration that any Igbo person campaigning against Peter Obi’s presidential ambition is an enemy of the Igbo people, describing the statement as politically reckless, divisive and capable of undermining Obi’s chances of securing nationwide support ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
In a video circulating on Monday, the senator popularly referred to as Ohamadike of Ndigbo, urged South-East people to treat whoever that is working against Obi’s presidential bid as an enemy of the Igbo race.
“I’m an Igbo activist; you people know me, and you hear my voice in the Senate on all issues of national importance. Peter is our conscience in this election. Any Igbo man who stands up to say we will not vote for Peter Obi, I’m telling you that he’s an enemy of the Igbo people,” Umeh said
However, in a statement issued on Tuesday conveying his reaction to the senator’s remarks, Arabambi said it was unfortunate that a serving member of the National Assembly, who should understand the importance of national unity and democratic pluralism, would make statements threatening people’s right to vote for candidates of their choice and capable of portraying Peter Obi’s presidential ambition as an exclusive Igbo political project.
According to the former spokesperson of the Labour Party(LP), Nigeria is a multinational, multi-ethnic and multiparty democracy where every citizen has the constitutional right to support any candidate of their choice, irrespective of ethnicity, religion or political affiliation.
“Senator Victor Umeh must understand that Peter Obi is seeking to become President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, not President of the Igbo or Biafra nation.
His ambition must be sold to Nigerians across all ethnic, religious and geopolitical boundaries. The moment we begin to suggest that every Igbo person must support him simply because he is Igbo, we are inadvertently giving other Nigerians reasons to view his candidacy through an ethnic lens,” Arabambi stated.
The LP chieftain described Umeh’s position as a serious political miscalculation, arguing that presidential elections cannot be won through ethnic solidarity alone.
Nigeria has six geopolitical zones and a constitutionally established electoral framework that requires a presidential candidate to secure the highest number of votes and at least 25 per cent of votes cast in two-thirds of the states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, where there are multiple candidates.
This reality makes nationwide political alliances, persuasion and acceptability indispensable to any serious presidential ambition.
Arabambi questioned the political wisdom behind demanding that all Igbo people support Peter Obi while expecting Nigerians from other ethnic groups to freely embrace his candidacy.
“How can the politicians appeal to Yoruba people, Hausa-Fulani people, Middle Belt communities, South-South Nigerians and other ethnic nationalities to support Peter Obi when some of the Igbo political leaders are publicly suggesting that supporting another candidate amounts to betraying the Igbo race? Democracy does not work that way. You cannot demand political freedom from others while denying the same freedom to your own people,” he said.
He further argued that Senator Umeh’s position could inadvertently damage the very presidential ambition he claims to defend.
According to him, such rhetoric risks reinforcing the perception among undecided voters that Obi’s candidacy is primarily an ethnic project rather than a national movement.
“Peter Obi needs more Nigerians to believe in him, not fewer Nigerians to become suspicious of him. His strongest political asset should be his ability to attract voters who are not Igbo. Anything that weakens that possibility is political self-sabotage,” he added.
The political commentator also reminded Senator Umeh that membership of the Nigerian Senate comes with national responsibilities. A senator representing Anambra Central is elected to participate in making laws for the entire federation, not to advance the political interests of one ethnic group at the expense of others.
While Umeh has every right to campaign passionately for Obi, Arabambi maintained that he has no democratic or moral justification to label fellow Igbo citizens enemies of their people simply because they support another presidential candidate.
He warned that attempting to impose political loyalty on the Igbo population could further deepen internal political divisions and weaken the community’s bargaining power in national politics.
According to him, the Igbo people have a legitimate interest in producing a Nigerian president, but that aspiration must be pursued through strategic alliances, political negotiations, constructive engagement and the cultivation of relationships across the country.
“Igbo cannot isolate themselves politically and simultaneously expect other Nigerians to rally behind their presidential ambition. The road to Aso Rock passes through the entire Nigerian electorate, not exclusively through the South-East,” he stressed.
Describing Umeh as an ethnic jingoist and bigot, Arabambi also argued that Peter Obi should not be reduced to an ethnic symbol. He said Obi’s political appeal ought to rest on his personal record, policy proposals, leadership capacity and ability to convince Nigerians that he can govern a diverse country facing serious economic, security and institutional challenges.
In his view, Obi’s supporters should be confident enough to allow Nigerians to assess his candidacy independently rather than turning political disagreement into an ethnic loyalty test. He maintained that an Igbo politician supporting another presidential candidate is exercising a constitutional right, not committing an offence against the Igbo nation.
He therefore called on Igbo political leaders, particularly those occupying influential public offices, to exercise restraint and adopt a more inclusive political strategy ahead of 2027, insisting that the South-East must position itself as a strong stakeholder in Nigeria’s national political conversation rather than allow divisive statements to create the impression that its political interests begin and end with one candidate.
Comrade Arabambi also demand his immediate arrest and prosecution for incitement, threat to national unity, intimidation and treasonable felony
He urged Obi’s supporters to build bridges with other political constituencies, respect divergent opinions and convince Nigerians through dialogue, credible policies and democratic engagement.
Concluding, Arabambi said Senator Victor Umeh should reconsider his approach and recognise that political loyalty cannot be imposed through ethnic intimidation*.
“If Peter Obi is truly the best candidate for Nigeria, let his supporters make that argument before Nigerians and allow the people to decide. Do not turn his presidential ambition into an ethnic obligation. Do not make fellow Igbo people political prisoners of one candidate’s ambition. And, above all, do not shoot the Igbo people in the foot while claiming to defend their interests. Nigeria belongs to all of us, and the presidency belongs to whoever can earn the confidence of Nigerians across the federation. Peter Obi needs Nigeria to win, and Nigeria must never be made to feel that Obi belongs exclusively to the Igbo people,” Arabambi declared.
