Umahi’s ‘I Killed PDP’ Boast Ignites 2027 Political Firestorm

Works Minister David Umahi

Umahi’s ‘I Killed PDP’ Boast Ignites 2027 Political Firestorm

Ebonyi State – The Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, has ignited a political firestorm after declaring that he “killed” the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) when he defected in 2020, warning that he will “kill them again” if the party attempts to revive ahead of the 2027 general election. The PDP has hit back with equal ferocity, insisting that no individual can “kill” a registered political party, and that the ballot belongs to the people, not to any politician.

Mr Umahi made the explosive remarks during an inspection of the dualised Abakaliki–Afikpo section of the Calabar–Abuja Super Highway in Ebonyi State. In a tone that left little room for ambiguity, he declared: “I killed the PDP when I left the PDP. Whether they are alive again, if they are alive, we will have to kill them again because the PDP did not treat the people of the South-East well.” He elaborated that the South-East had long supported the PDP and voted for its presidential candidates, only to be neglected when the party had the opportunity to reward the region. “We supported the PDP, voted for the PDP presidential candidate, but when it was time for them to honour us, they did not honour us; they maltreated us. But we have hope in the APC and all APC candidates in Ebonyi State,” he said. The remarks are being widely interpreted as a political declaration aimed squarely at the 2027 elections, with Mr Umahi making clear that he would ensure the PDP does not return to power in Ebonyi State, reiterating his loyalty to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Bola Tinubu.

Addressing his relationship with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, Mr Umahi acknowledged that the two are “good friends and brothers” but categorically denied the existence of any so-called “Rainbow Coalition” in Ebonyi State. Mr Wike has been linked to a cross-party alliance aimed at supporting President Tinubu’s re-election in 2027. “If Wike has a candidate here, he did not tell me. His candidate cannot destroy our relationship, but his candidate is not part of our relationship. There is no Rainbow Coalition in Ebonyi State,” Mr Umahi said. He warned that anyone attempting to foment crisis in Ebonyi State would be “chased out”, while noting that opposition parties are free to campaign but must not spread hate speech.

The Ebonyi State chapter of the PDP responded forcefully to Mr Umahi’s comments. In a statement issued by its Publicity Secretary, Darlington Peter Onwe, the party described the remarks as “disturbing and improper in a democratic environment”, stressing that no individual can determine the survival of a registered political party. “The PDP is a political organisation, not an individual. It cannot be killed or ‘wiped out’ by any politician,” Mr Onwe said. “Our party belongs to the millions of Nigerians who believe in democracy, constitutional governance, and the right of citizens to organise and contest elections.” The PDP demanded that Mr Umahi clarify the exact meaning of his phrase “we will wipe it out”, and called on political actors to exercise restraint ahead of the 2027 general election, urging them to avoid language that could be construed as a threat. “Elections are determined by the people, not by a politician’s declaration that he has killed or will kill a political party. The ballot belongs to the people of Ebonyi State,” the party stated.

Mr Umahi’s political trajectory is itself dramatic. He rose through the ranks of the PDP, serving as the party’s Ebonyi State chairman, deputy governor, and subsequently as governor, winning election on the PDP platform in 2015 and 2019. In November 2020, he defected to the ruling APC, citing the South-East’s unfair treatment by the PDP. He became the first sitting governor to defect from the PDP after the 2019 election. At the time, he stated explicitly that the move was a protest against the PDP’s twenty-year refusal to zone the presidential ticket to the South-East, and denied harbouring personal presidential ambitions. Now, as Minister of Works, he has become one of the most vocal defenders of the APC-led government, frequently championing the Tinubu administration’s infrastructure record and positioning himself as the South-East’s representative within the ruling party.

The exchange comes as political activity ahead of the 2027 governorship election in Ebonyi State gathers pace. The incumbent governor, Francis Nwifuru, is of the APC, and Mr Umahi has made clear he will support his re-election, stating that “there is no vacancy in Ebonyi State”. The PDP, for its part, has put forward Ifeanyi Odii as its governorship candidate. Mr Umahi’s remarks were made in response to a question about whether he would support Mr Odii. Analysts suggest that Mr Umahi’s “I killed the PDP” declaration is intended to signal to Ebonyi State voters that the PDP’s political machine in the state has been dismantled by his own hand, and that they should remain in the APC fold. The PDP’s swift rebuttal, however, indicates that the party has no intention of sitting out the 2027 contest, and is seeking to frame Mr Umahi’s comments as political intimidation in order to win voter sympathy and support.