From left.: Chief Martin Elechi,Senator Chris Ngige, Senator Dave Umahi, Gov. Peter Mbah (host), Ambassador Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and Chief Okezie Ikpeazu.
From Maurice Okafor, Enugu
A new political pressure group, the Forum of former Governors of the South East zone, has been formed.
The forum held its maiden meeting on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, and resolved to reconvene in two weeks.
At the inaugural meeting held at the Presidential Lounge, Enugu, members advocated support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election while commending the current South East governors for their laudable projects across the region.
Briefing journalists after the meeting, the Minister of Works and former Governor of Ebonyi State, Senator Dave Umahi, described the endorsement of President Tinubu’s 2027 re-election as strategic.
His words, “We boldly say that all the governors of South East are supporting Mr. President’s re-election and we are very grateful for them because this is strategic, you know, a strategic approach.
“We commend the great works that our governors of South East are doing for the benefit of our people. We commend Mr. President very highly for all the appointments, some of them very key, that is given to sons and daughters of South East zone and the infrastructure revolution in South East, just like what he’s doing in other regions of the country.
“We also thank Mr. President for the assistance to the governors of South East and of course, indeed, all governors of the country, which has helped the governors of South East in very, very high measures towards the great achievements they have recorded while in their various offices.
“We are grateful to Mr. President and we thank our dear governors of South East for their commitment in the affairs of the people of South East, especially infrastructure development and empowerment and security.
“We boldly say that all the governors of South East are supporting Mr. President’s re-election and we are very grateful for them because this is strategic, you know, a strategic approach. And for this, we will continue to give them support. And I believe that our next meeting, which will embrace most of the former governors, will be in the next two weeks,” Umahi disclosed.
Umahi added that the forum would also serve in an advisory capacity to the serving governors of the zone on key regional and national issues.
As part of its activities, Umahi led other former governors who attended the meeting on a courtesy visit to the Enugu State Governor, Dr Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, at the Government House.
He said the visit was to urge the governor to agree on a date with his counterparts for an interface between the forum and the incumbent South East governors.
Those present at the maiden meeting included former Governor Sullivan Chime and former Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, Senator Chris Ngige, a former Governor of Anambra State, former Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, former Governor Martins Elechi of Ebonyi State, as well as Senator Dave Umahi.
The convener, Senator Dave Umahi, however, noted that several former governors who had indicated interest in the forum were absent due to ill health.
He listed some of them as Senator Chimaroke Nnamani of Enugu State, former Governor Ohakim of Imo State, former Governor Theodore Orji and former Governor Orji Uzor Kalu, both from Abia State, among others.
