2027: NDIGBO MUST UNITE, RALLY SUPPORT FOR PETER OBI

2027: NDIGBO MUST UNITE, RALLY SUPPORT FOR PETER OBI — CHIEF A. E. UDEIGBO (President General, ASMATA)                                                                                   The President General of the Abia State Market Amalgamated Traders Association (ASMATA), Hon. Chief Alphonsus E. Udeigbo, has called on Ndigbo in Nigeria and the Diaspora to strengthen their bonds of unity and work collectively towards achieving greater political and economic relevance for the Igbo nation.

Udeigbo made the call on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, at the 2026 World Igbo Day Celebration held in Umuahia, the Abia State capital, tagged, “Njikoka” (Unity is Supreme).

Speaking with journalists at the event, the ASMATA President General said the gathering provided an important platform for Ndigbo to reflect on their common heritage, interests and the need to overcome internal divisions.

According to him, the time has come for the Igbo people to move beyond being major contributors to national development and seek the opportunity to occupy the highest political office in the country.

He declared that Ndigbo should unite and rally behind the presidential aspiration of former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, in the 2027 general election.

Udeigbo argued that the Igbo had continued to play significant roles in Nigeria’s economic and administrative development and should now seek the opportunity to provide leadership at the highest level.

“Who says that the Igbo man cannot be President of Nigeria? Why should such a thing be? Does it mean that we don’t know how to administer or Are we lacking in administration?” he asked.

The ASMATA leader maintained that Ndigbo should not remain permanently in what he described as the “engine room” of the country’s administration, but should aspire to take a more prominent position in national leadership.

He specifically appealed to Nigerians who share the aspiration for an Igbo presidency to support Peter Obi, arguing that the former Anambra governor possesses the experience and capacity, in his view, to lead the country.

“Any man who is an Igbo man who says that Peter Obi will not be President hates Nigeria, and any Nigerian who says that Peter Obi will not be President, that person also hates Nigeria because he has all it takes to move the nation forward,” Udeigbo said.

He further argued that Obi was seeking only a four-year opportunity to govern the country, urging Nigerians to give him the chance to demonstrate his leadership capacity.

Udeigbo said the 2027 election should therefore be approached by Ndigbo with a renewed sense of unity and collective purpose, stressing that individual and political differences should not be allowed to undermine what he described as their common aspiration.

The ASMATA President General also commended Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Chioma Otti, for what he described as quality leadership and remarkable transformation of the state.

He cited the development of road infrastructure, transportation, public utilities and other sectors as evidence of what he described as the impact of the Otti administration.

Among projects documented by the Abia State Government in 2026 are the reconstruction and commissioning of several roads, including the 22.5-kilometre Abiriba–Ohafia Highway and the Nunya-Eluama Road; the commissioning of the Umuahia Central Bus Terminal; and the rehabilitation of the Ubakala and Ariaria water schemes.

The administration has also reported reforms in areas including healthcare, education, transportation, agriculture, security, public service and infrastructure, as well as measures aimed at improving the business environment.

Udeigbo attributed what he described as the progress being witnessed in Abia to Governor Otti’s leadership style, saying the governor had demonstrated that unity and purposeful leadership could produce tangible results.

“Governor Alex Chioma Otti has PhD in unity and that is why we are seeing all the progress in Abia State,” he said.
He urged Ndigbo to draw lessons from the Abia experience by placing collective interests above personal differences.
According to him, the World Igbo Day celebration should not merely be an annual cultural gathering but an opportunity for Ndigbo to renew their commitment to unity, cooperation, development and greater participation in national affairs.

“Ndigbo should strengthen their bonds of unity and prioritise collective interests above individual differences in order to actualise our common goal,” Udeigbo stated.

He described the 2026 celebration as a landmark gathering capable of strengthening the bonds among Ndigbo in Nigeria and across the Diaspora, commending the organisers for bringing together political, business, traditional, religious and other leaders for the event.

His call for unity echoed a central message at the celebration, where Governor Otti also urged Ndigbo to deepen cooperation and place collective interests above individual differences, while stressing that unity does not necessarily require unanimity of opinion.