The Coalition of South East Youth Leaders (COSEYL) has called on candidates contesting the Anambra Central Senatorial seat to shelve their ambitions and rally behind Senator Victor Umeh of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
In a statement on Wednesday signed by its President-General, Comrade Goodluck Ibem, and Publicity Secretary, Comrade Okey Nwaoru, the group said the call followed an assessment of the political landscape and the need for effective representation in the National Assembly.
COSEYL described itself as the apex sociopolitical youth group in the South-East.
“This is not a call borne out of sentiment, political patronage or empty partisan arithmetic. It is a call for competence, continuity, strategic representation and the greater Igbo interest,” the coalition said.
According to the group, Umeh has, through his interventions and advocacy in the National Assembly, established himself as a formidable voice on matters affecting his constituents and the wider South-East.
“Ndi Igbo need representatives who can speak with clarity, negotiate with courage and defend the legitimate interests of our people wherever and whenever those interests are challenged,” it said.
The coalition said Umeh has become one of the consequential voices from the South-East in the National Assembly, adding that the zone must not merely occupy seats in Abuja but occupy them with individuals capable of making their voices count.
It therefore appealed to other senatorial candidates in Anambra Central to demonstrate political maturity by choosing strategic consensus over fragmented ambition.
“Politics must not become an endless contest of personal entitlement. Public office is ultimately a trust, and political leadership demands the wisdom to recognise when the collective interest is better served by consolidation rather than proliferation,” COSEYL stated.
The group urged aspirants, political stakeholders, youth organisations, community leaders and opinion leaders across Anambra Central to reflect on what best advances the interest of the district and strengthens the voice of Ndi Igbo in the National Assembly.
“We believe that his experience should not be discarded at a time when the South-East requires experienced, articulate and courageous representation at the centre. The Igbo nation cannot afford political representation that is ornamental. We require representation that is strategic, intellectually grounded, assertive and result-oriented,” it said.
COSEYL said its position was not aimed at silencing legitimate aspirations but an appeal for political patriotism.
“This is an appeal for our people to exercise the highest form of political patriotism: the ability to recognise when one’s personal ambition should yield to a greater collective objective,” the statement added.
It said Anambra Central deserves a senator who will not merely occupy a seat but occupy the national political space with purpose, courage and intellectual authority.
“The moment demands consolidation. The people deserve effective representation. The Igbo interest deserves a strong voice. And where competence has been demonstrated, continuity should not be sacrificed on the altar of political fragmentation,” the coalition said.
