You Don’t Speak for Us: US-Based Igbo Groups Say Tinubu Has Not Ended Igbo Marginalisation, Fault Umahi

United States–based Igbo organisations have dismissed assertions by the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, that the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has resolved the marginalisation of Ndigbo, describing such claims as “offensive, deceptive and self-serving.

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In a joint statement released on Saturday, the groups maintained that Umahi does not possess the authority to speak on behalf of the Igbo people and cautioned him against presenting his personal political opinions as the collective position of Ndigbo.
“Our attention has been drawn to a reckless statement credited to Senator David Umahi, suggesting that Ndigbo should abandon the Biafra agitation because the federal government has addressed all Igbo challenges,” the statement said. “We wish to remind him that he lacks the mandate to speak for Ndigbo and should not arrogate to himself powers he does not have.”
The statement was jointly signed by Dr Sylvester Onyia, President of the American Veterans of Igbo Descent; Ben Nwankwo, representing Ambassadors for Self-Determination; and Maxwell Dede of The Rising Sun.
The groups accused the former Ebonyi State governor of seeking to downplay longstanding grievances in the South-East while aligning himself with the political elite in Abuja.
“Having openly stated that he does not believe in Biafra, Biafrans equally do not believe in traitors like him,” they said. “No one is forcing him to be part of the struggle, but he certainly lacks the authority to stop it or speak for the people.”
They insisted that assertions suggesting the end of Igbo marginalisation are disconnected from reality, questioning what tangible gains the South-East has recorded under the Tinubu administration.
“It is an affront to the intelligence of Ndigbo for Umahi to claim that marginalisation is over,” the groups stated. “Since Tinubu assumed office, what exactly has Alaigbo benefited?”
They pointed to what they described as continued infrastructural neglect in the region, citing the abandoned Umuahia–Enugu railway line, even as rail projects such as Lagos–Kano and Katsina–Niger Republic are operational.
“Why is the Umuahia–Enugu rail line still abandoned while other regions enjoy functional rail services?” they queried. “Why does the South-East have only five ministers, two of whom are junior ministers, whereas a single state in the South-West has four ministers?”
The groups also decried the absence of a functional seaport and cargo airport in the South-East, despite the region’s significant commercial activities.
“Is Umahi unaware that there is no seaport in the South-East, even though our people are among the highest importers in Nigeria?” the statement asked. “Do we have a functional cargo airport, major federal industries or maritime projects? Other regions do, but Alaigbo does not.”
On the continued detention of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the groups described his incarceration as a clear symbol of injustice against the Igbo people.
“Why is Mazi Nnamdi Kanu detained while genuine terrorists and mass murderers roam freely and are treated with leniency?” they asked. “Anyone aiding his continued detention is working against the interests of the Igbo people.”
They further alleged that Kanu’s detention enjoys the support of foreign interests and some Nigerian politicians who, according to them, have prioritised “personal comfort over justice.”
“That is the source of the anger and sense of betrayal,” the statement added.
The groups also criticised the establishment of the Ebube Agu regional security outfit, accusing its promoters of enabling abuses across parts of the South-East and calling for accountability.
“Those behind the creation of Ebube Agu must be held responsible for the atrocities committed in Igbo land, which are often wrongly attributed to IPOB and the Eastern Security Network (ESN),” they said.
Reiterating their position, the groups stressed that the Biafra agitation goes beyond individuals or political appointments.
“Biafra is bigger than Umahi,” they declared. “This struggle is not about appointments or pleasing Abuja; it is about justice, dignity and self-respect.”
They concluded with a firm message to the minister and the Federal Government: “Dave Umahi does not speak for Ndi Igbo. He speaks only for himself. Our demand remains clear and unchanged: release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. Anything short of that is deception.”