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I’m still APGA presidential candidate until 2027 — Justice Umeadi declares

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…Says African Leaders Owe Zik a Debt on Political Thought

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By Chimaobi Nwaiwu

NNEWI — Former Chief Judge of Anambra State and 2023 presidential candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Justice Professor Peter Umeadi, has declared that he remains the party’s presidential candidate until the 2027 general election.

He made the declaration on Thursday while delivering his Chairman’s Opening Remarks at the Maiden International Conference of the Department of Political Science, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka.

Justice Umeadi used the occasion to pay glowing tribute to Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Nigeria’s first President, describing him as a “political scientist and statesman of excellence” whose influence shaped political thinking across Africa.

“I remain the presidential candidate of APGA until the 2027 presidential election. That is what it is,” Umeadi stated, emphasizing continuity in his political pursuit.

Reflecting on Zik’s legacy, Umeadi said, “When it comes to learning, application, maneuvering, scheming, politicking, and winning, you talk about Zik of Africa. Leaders like Julius Nyerere, Jomo Kenyatta, Nelson Mandela, Kenneth Kaunda, and Kwame Nkrumah owe him a debt for what they became and what they did for their countries.”

He lamented the persistence of poverty and hunger in Africa, quoting Nyerere’s famous line: “The tragedy of Africa is that even at this age, children still go to bed hungry.”

“Social progress—ensuring access to basic needs like food, water, shelter, and safety—is the foundation of leadership,” he added, noting that many modern African leaders have failed to uphold this principle.

Umeadi urged the Political Science Department of the university to lead intellectual thought in the spirit of Zik’s legacy, describing the department as central to shaping Africa’s political future.

In her welcome address, the Acting Vice Chancellor, Prof. Carol Arinze-Umobi, commended the conference’s theme, “Africa at Crossroads: Confronting Governance, Security, and Development Challenges in the 21st Century”, as timely and significant.

She bemoaned the state of governance across Africa, listing a litany of crises including armed conflicts, jihadist insurgencies, electoral fraud, ethnic and religious divisions, military coups, and the erosion of democratic accountability.

“It is disappointing that decades after independence, most African countries are still mired in underdevelopment and political instability,” she said.

Delivering the keynote address, former National Publicity Secretary of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olisa Metuh, called for a revival of party supremacy and institutional reforms in Nigeria’s political system.

He expressed concern over the weakening of political parties by state governors who, he said, have hijacked party structures and sidelined internal democracy.

“Power must return to political parties if we want to institutionalize good governance in Nigeria. Parties should not rely on governors for financing and direction,” Metuh warned.

The event attracted dignitaries including former PDP governorship candidate Sir Oseloka Obaze, Labour Party governorship candidate Chief George Moghalu, ADC candidate Chief John Nwosu, and other scholars and traditional rulers including Prof. Emma Ezeani, Prof. Jaja Nwanegbo, Igwe Johnson Mbanefo, and Prof. Godwin Mmaduka.

The conference served as a forum for deep reflection on Africa’s political future and a reaffirmation of the values and vision of Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, a figure hailed by many as the father of modern African political thought.

The post I’m still APGA presidential candidate until 2027 — Justice Umeadi declares appeared first on Vanguard News.

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