Former Enugu State House of Assembly member and former South-East spokesman for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s presidential campaign council, Denge Josef Umunnakwe Onoh, has warned South-East politicians against sacrificing regional political influence for what he described as fleeting political gains.
Onoh said politicians who publicly attack former Anambra State Governor and 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi in pursuit of temporary political advantages could eventually find themselves isolated from the same region they sought to undermine.
In a statement made available to journalists in Abuja, Onoh urged political actors across the South-East to exercise restraint and preserve regional decorum, particularly amid recent public friction involving Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo and Minister of Works David Umahi.
He acknowledged that politicians had the constitutional right to belong to different parties, support different candidates and disagree on political issues, but warned against turning such differences into personal attacks.
According to him, the public denigration of prominent Igbo political figures before national political rivals was damaging to the collective bargaining power of the region.
“We must look at the broader political matrix of Nigeria,” Onoh said.
He argued that the Hausa-Fulani and Yoruba political establishments had historically understood the importance of protecting their major political figures, even when members of the groups were engaged in fierce internal contests.
“They protect their frontline political figures because they understand that a wounded leader reduces the collective negotiating power of the entire block at the federal table,” he said.
Onoh warned that failure by South-East political leaders to develop a cohesive and respectful political front could leave the region as “political nomads”—a description he used for people who may be individually successful and influential but lack a unified political structure to advance their interests nationally.
He also invoked the region’s political history, warning that politicians who had previously undermined regional solidarity for external patronage eventually faced political isolation after leaving office.
“History does not lie,” he said.
“Look closely at those who historically betrayed regional cohesion or targeted their own frontline figures to curry temporary favour with external interests. The moment the political season closes and they exit public office, they find themselves in a political limbo.”
Onoh said the South-East’s political reach should also be viewed beyond state boundaries, identifying Igbo communities and areas stretching from Ikwerre and Port Harcourt in Rivers State to Nsukka in Enugu State, where the region borders Kogi and Benue states.
He also referred to the stretch from Anioma and Igbanke in Delta and Edo states, west of the Niger, to the border areas of Cross River and Akwa Ibom states in the east.
He described the geographical and cultural spread as an important asset that could be deployed in negotiations over national political representation and regional development.
“True unity is the ultimate strategic asset, and frankly, it is the one scenario that other political blocks do not wish to see materialised,” Onoh said.
He singled out Peter Obi as a particularly important political figure for the region, arguing that Obi had developed a level of national acceptance and cross-regional appeal that, in his view, had not been matched by a South-East politician since the eras of Nnamdi Azikiwe and Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu.
“Since the eras of Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe and Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, no political figure from our region has generated the level of wide national acceptability and cross-regional organic appeal that Peter Obi has built,” he said.
“He represents a major national brand. To systematically attempt to diminish him for cheap, temporary glory is to devalue the region’s own currency.”
Onoh, however, said his position should not be interpreted as opposition to political competition or support for a particular party.
He praised Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, Abia State Governor Alex Otti and Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah for what he described as their ability to pursue different political interests while maintaining decorum.
According to him, the three governors belong to different political parties and have different strategic interests, yet have demonstrated that political competition does not have to degenerate into public insults.
He said their conduct showed that “leadership can be fiercely competitive yet thoroughly decent."
Onoh also reminded South-East politicians and their supporters that every citizen had the right to choose a preferred presidential candidate, including Tinubu, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Obi or any other national political figure.
“Let everyone express their choices clearly through the ballot box,” he said.
“If you do not believe in Peter Obi’s vision, speak your mind by voting against him at the polls.”
He urged politicians who oppose Obi to campaign against his ideas, policies and political programmes rather than resorting to personal attacks.
“But do not join external choruses to launch vitriolic insults against a decent man who, despite his natural human flaws, has brought profound global pride to millions,” he said.
Onoh warned that politicians who denigrate Obi simply because he chose to contest for political office could eventually face the judgement of the same communities they represent.
He urged political actors to channel their energy into promoting the programmes, competence and manifestos of their preferred candidates.
“Let it be known that any Igbo son or daughter who chooses to denigrate Peter Obi simply because he exercised his constitutional right to run for office will be reminded of that disrespect tomorrow,” he said.
“The fanfare, the sirens, and the temporary political razzmatazz of today will inevitably come to an end.”
Onoh said that when the current political contest was over, communities would remember those who protected regional relationships and those who abandoned them for short-term political rewards.
“When the dust settles, the community will remember those who broke the bond of regional respect for a seat at a temporary table,” he said.
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