From Maurice Okafor, Enugu
The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Wing Worldwide, in collaboration with leaders of Southern Nigeria ethnic youth groups, has threatened to stage a nationwide protest over alleged plans to remove Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, as Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF).
In a statement signed by its President, Ambassador Arthur Obiora, the group declared its unwavering support for Governor Uzodimma, describing him as a credible political rallying point in the region.
The youths warned that they would not hesitate to mobilise nationwide demonstrations if those allegedly working against the governor fail to abandon the move.
According to the group, any attempt to remove Uzodimma amounts to playing a dangerous ethnic card capable of undermining President Bola Tinubu’s re-election efforts, especially given the governor’s role as one of the President’s strongest allies in the South-East.
It further cautioned that the All Progressives Congress (APC) could suffer significant electoral losses in the South-East during the 2027 presidential election if Uzodimma is removed from his current position.
The group also dismissed allegations surrounding a missing N800 billion as baseless and unsubstantiated, describing the claims as “part of the scheme designed to rubbish the Tinubu administration and destabilize the re-election effort by attempting to cause confusion, division and bad blood among major stakeholders”.
It alleged that some politicians pushing for Uzodimma’s removal were driven by excessive ambition and were seeking control of President Tinubu’s campaign structure for personal political gains ahead of the elections.
The statement reads: “We have been made aware of the fact that those attacking Governor Uzodimma seek to alienate him from the President so as to have undue access to hijack and gain control of President Tinubu’s campaign structure and use such to exert pressure on the President for their selfish gains ahead of the elections.
“In addition, we call on the APC family to note that Governor Uzodimma represents the voice of the South-East. If he is removed from the presidency, the APC family will lose the entire South-east to another party. This is a man that has given the APC family the entire structure to convert the people to the APC family. The APC will lose thousands of people to another party if he is removed.
“Governor Hope Uzodinma is the leading voice of the South-east within the APC. Any attempt to undermine or sideline him sends a very troubling message that the interests and concerns of the South-east are not being considered within the Presidency. That is a signal no one in this administration should be comfortable sending, and it is one that could have lasting consequences for the unity and inclusiveness that this government has always stood for.
“This is because being the prominent political figure from the South-east with close engagement at the federal level, Governor Uzodimma has been instrumental in articulating the interests of the region within national policy discussions, particularly on issues of infrastructure, federal appointments, and resource allocation. At a time when the South-east holds four ministerial portfolios compared to nine in other regions, such representation is significant to the region’s sense of inclusion in national governance.
“What makes the attempt at Governor Uzodimma even more dangerous is the effect it has on the many people who believed in him and chose to join the APC and support the Tinubu campaign because of him. Attacking him means attacking every single person who stood by him and came to the APC because of him…
“Beyond the personal attack on Governor Uzodinma, this allegation of missing N800 billion is also a direct strike at President Tinubu’s government. When people openly claim that N800 billion has gone missing without any solid proof, what they are really doing is trying to paint this administration as corrupt and lacking in transparency. It also embarrasses the party and brings the Governors Forum into disrepute.
“The reality is that this allegation is being pushed by a group of governors who are uncomfortable with Governor Uzodimma’s standing and influence. They feel threatened, and some are unhappy with how the leadership structure of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors was put together. In their thinking, they believe Uzodimma had a hand in shaping who got appointed and who did not even when that is far from the truth.”
The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Wing therefore called on President Tinubu to intervene before the situation escalates, particularly in the South-East.
The group also urged the APC leadership to appreciate Governor Uzodimma’s contributions to the party, warning that any move against him could negatively affect the party’s fortunes in the 2027 general elections.
