A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and National Coordinator of ADC Like-Minds, Comrade Adolphus Ude, has faulted the endorsement of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for re-election in 2027 by the three All Progressives Congress (APC) governors in the South-East and other stakeholders, describing the move as not pragmatic.

Ude, who was a foundation Deputy Chairman of the APC in Enugu State, also called on the ruling party to stop stifling opposition parties and instead allow them to flourish, as was the case during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

The ADC chieftain, in a statement made available to journalists on Thursday in Abuja, urged the APC to create a level playing field for opposition parties in the country.

According to him, the endorsement of Tinubu by South-East APC governors and stakeholders was motivated purely by immediate personal gains rather than the future well-being of the Igbo people in Nigeria.

Ude maintained that no amount of propaganda or media hype could convince Igbos at the grassroots that Tinubu would free them from marginalisation or offer them a genuine sense of belonging in the country.

He dismissed claims by the governors that the endorsement was aimed at re-aligning the South-East with the centre, warning that the region stands to gain nothing from endorsing Tinubu, whom he accused of concentrating intervention funds, infrastructure, and appointments in favour of the South-West, while paying little attention to the country’s diversity.

He said:

“In our last press release, we made reference to the destruction of Igbo properties in Lagos State because of the way they voted in 2023. Has anything changed?

“Yet, the governors are sitting in their comfort zones, issuing press statements endorsing the President without going to Lagos to see their brothers and sisters who have been rendered homeless and are roaming the streets.

“The 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended) permits all Nigerians to reside in any part of the country of their choice to pursue their livelihood. Why is the case of the Igbos in Lagos different? Are they not Nigerians?”

Ude insisted that the South-East governors and stakeholders were merely attempting to strengthen their personal relationships with the President.

According to him, the governors lack the capacity to deliver the South-East to Tinubu, as they have no real control over voters in the region.

“In 2023, the APC did not win the South-East. Has anything changed?

“As the National Coordinator of ADC Like-Minds, I am not asking our governors to join the ADC. However, they should have adopted a neutral platform to negotiate for power at the centre, either with the ADC or APC. Giving Tinubu a blanket endorsement is not in the interest of the Igbo people.

“The governors are not thinking about the future. They are more concerned with immediate personal gains. We remember vividly how, during the formative years of APGA, South-East leaders envisioned building it into a national platform. There was a time APGA was stronger than AD.

“Those being endorsed today nurtured AD until it became part of the nucleus of a national platform. Unfortunately, South-East political actors abandoned APGA in pursuit of selfish interests elsewhere.”

He argued that shifting political loyalty to the South-West would not earn the South-East power at the centre, stressing that such expectations were unrealistic.

“The South-East governors do not truly represent their people. They are more concerned about their personal interests,” he said.

Ude further stated that the APC has lost its ideological foundation due to poor governance performance, noting that defecting governors who lack an understanding of the party’s original ideals cannot recreate its past electoral successes.

He appealed to the ruling party to stop stifling opposition parties and allow them to thrive, as was the case during the Jonathan administration.

Describing opposition parties as vital to democratic growth, Ude said a viable opposition remains a critical pillar of democracy, adding that democracy cannot thrive without it.