Women leaders under the aegis of Ikwuano/Umuahia Women Community Leaders have endorsed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and all candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The women made their position known during their 2026 summit held in Umuahia, where they declared their support for the APC presidential ticket and candidates seeking elective positions in Abia State.
In a communique signed by the various women clan heads in Ikwuano/Umuahia, the group pledged to mobilize women across the area for the Abia Central Senatorial candidate, Hon. Emeka Atuma, the Ikwuano/Umuahia Federal Constituency candidate, Rt. Hon. Chinedum Orji, the APC Governorship candidate, Chief Eric Opah, and other candidates of the party.
Addressing the women, the Coordinator of the association, Hon Lady Chinyere Ehilegbu, welcomed the women to the summit with the theme, “The Place of Ikwuano/Umuahia Women in the Emerging Political Scenario in Abia Central Senatorial District”, and informed them of the decision to galvanize support for all APC candidates to ensure their landslide victory.
Ehilegbu said the association was established to unite women in Ikwuano/Umuahia, give them a stronger voice and increase their visibility in political and community affairs.
She said the group would continue to advocate for women’s participation in governance and ensure that women benefit from the dividends of democracy provided by leaders they support.
Declaring the purpose of the summit, former Abia State Head of Service, Lady Joy Maduka, said politics was fundamentally about representation, participation, inclusion and development.
Maduka noted that women constitute one of the strongest voting blocs in any democratic society and play a critical role in grassroots mobilization through market associations, churches, community development unions, cooperative societies, professional organizations and family structures.
She maintained that the political exclusion of women could result in weak grassroots mobilization, reduced community acceptance, leadership gaps and other consequences for political development.
Maduka also highlighted what she described as some of the achievements of the Tinubu administration in the South-East, including the establishment of the South East Development Commission, agricultural support initiatives and youth empowerment programmes.
She urged women to promote peaceful elections, pursue elective and appointive positions and build stronger political networks across the district ahead of the 2027 elections.
In separate remarks, Lady Chinyere Ibe, Mrs. Chibuzo Akomas and Lolo Charity Igbe pledged the support of women in the area to Atuma and Orji, promising to mobilize their members and other women for the APC candidates.
They said the records of Atuma and Orji from their previous political offices remained a major reason for their support.
The women also maintained that the Ngwa bloc of Abia Central Senatorial District should produce the governorship candidate, while Ikwuano/Umuahia retains the senatorial position. They further argued that it was the turn of the Ibeku community to produce the representative for the Ikwuano/Umuahia Federal Constituency.
Responding, APC Abia Central Senatorial candidate, Hon. Emeka Atuma, thanked the women for their endorsement and recalled his previous representation at the federal level.
Atuma said he would improve on his past performance if elected to the Senate, while urging the women to support the APC and President Tinubu.
He cited projects and interventions associated with his tenure in the House of Representatives, including efforts involving the National Root Crops Research Institute, Umudike, and called for the restoration of Ikwuano/Umuahia to what he described as its rightful position in the political and development structure of the state.
Atuma also promised to prioritize employment opportunities for youths, stressing that his focus would be on access to federal employment rather than temporary empowerment programmes.
The APC candidate for Ikwuano/Umuahia Federal Constituency, Rt. Hon. Chinedum Orji, also thanked the women for their support and highlighted his record in the Abia State House of Assembly, expressing confidence that he would surpass the performance of the incumbent if elected.
Also, the APC Governorship candidate, Chief Eric Opah, commended the women for endorsing the party’s candidates and described the development as an indication of the growing support for APC across the district.
Opah pledged to run an inclusive administration in which women would play a significant role in governance.
He said his administration would focus on accountability, transparency, economic development and policies that directly impact the people, adding that his background in the private sector would influence his approach to governance.
The APC Governorship candidate also promised to review the state’s taxation system and address issues affecting workers, while stressing that government claims must correspond with verifiable achievements on the ground.
He said APC had established a strong presence in the state, but ultimately, the power to determine the outcome of the 2027 election remained with the people of Abia.
Earlier, the Director-General of the Emeka Atuma for Senate Campaign Organization and chairman of the occasion, Hon. Chidi Nwosu, commended the women for their resilience, organization and commitment to the political process.
