Osbourne Umahi, son of former Ebonyi State governor and current Minister of Works, David Umahi, has formally entered the contest for the chairmanship of Ohaozara Local Government Area on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The 27-year-old aspirant obtained the party’s nomination and expression of interest forms over the weekend, a process that reportedly cost ₦30 million. He was accompanied by a large number of supporters to the APC state secretariat in Abakaliki, where he was welcomed by members of the party’s State Executive Committee led by the chairman, Stanley Okoro-Emegha.
Addressing party faithful, Okoro-Emegha commended Osbourne Umahi, describing him as a vibrant and capable young leader with the potential to bring meaningful development to Ohaozara Local Government Area.
In his remarks, Umahi expressed appreciation to party members and residents of Ohaozara for their support, which he described as a vote of confidence in his ambition. He assured them that, if elected, he would focus on empowering youths and sustaining infrastructure growth across the local government.
“Young people are the driving force of development, and my priority will be to create opportunities that allow them to thrive,” he said, while also pledging continuity in infrastructural development.
The APC local government primaries in Ebonyi State are slated for January 25, 2026.
Umahi’s emergence comes amid public debate over the APC’s decision to fix the chairmanship nomination form at ₦30 million, a price many critics have described as prohibitive given Nigeria’s minimum wage of ₦70,000.
Defending the cost, APC chairman Stanley Okoro-Emegha said party leaders recently met with officials from the 13 local government areas and 171 wards in the state to brief them on upcoming activities and ensure coordination within the party structure.
David Umahi, Osbourne’s father, served as governor of Ebonyi State before his appointment as Minister of Works by President Bola Tinubu. He was sworn into office in August 2023.
