Two days after reports circulated online that the Umuahia Premier Club, Umuahia Branch had endorsed the member representing Ikwuano/Umuahia North/Umuahia South Federal Constituency, Hon. Obi Aguocha for a second term, the Club has debunked the report, describing the purported endorsement as unauthorised and a departure from its non-partisan traditions.
In a rejoinder issued on Sunday and signed by its Branch Chairman, Premier Ako Obioma, and Branch Secretary, Premier Chuka Agomoh, the club said its attention had been drawn to a purported endorsement of a candidate contesting for elective political office on the platform of a particular political party.
The leadership said the club is, by its founding philosophy, a socio-cultural, non-partisan and unifying organisation established to foster fraternity, mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, cultural solidarity, and the collective advancement of its members and communities.
“It is therefore not the character, tradition or mandate of the Club to adopt or endorse partisan political candidates,” the statement read.
The club said the purported endorsement constituted a significant departure from its established traditions and ethos, warning that it could generate avoidable disaffection, suspicion, and division among members who are entitled to hold divergent political preferences.
“It is acknowledged that the candidate purportedly endorsed is a member of the Club and is entitled, like every other citizen, to participate in the political process and pursue his legitimate political aspirations. However, membership of the Club cannot, in itself, constitute a basis for transforming the Club into a political platform or committing the collective identity of the Club to the political ambition of any individual member,” the statement said.
The club clarified that the gathering held on Sunday, September 20, 2026, was convened as its monthly general meeting and not as a political meeting or a forum authorised to deliberate upon and endorse a political candidate.
It noted that the Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, Financial Secretary, Legal Adviser, and four National officers from the branch were reportedly absent from the meeting, adding that the circumstances under which the purported endorsement was made required careful scrutiny.
“It is particularly disturbing that the meeting took place at the residence of the candidate concerned, thereby creating circumstances in which his political associates and party supporters were able to take advantage of the gathering to introduce and advance a partisan agenda that was neither part of the scheduled business of the Club nor sanctioned by its leadership,” the statement read.
The club further said a considerable number of those present were either relatively new members or persons not yet sufficiently conversant with its established procedures and conventions.
“In view of the foregoing, the purported endorsement, to the extent that it purports to represent the collective position of the Club or its Branch, is hereby expressly repudiated, condemned and declared unacceptable,” the statement said.
It warned that appropriate disciplinary measures would be taken against any member found to have deliberately misrepresented the position of the club, acted without authority, or brought its name into disrepute.
The club also reiterated that only the Chairman, Secretary, and Public Relations Officer are authorised to issue or circulate official publications on behalf of the club or the branch, adding that the Secretary and PRO must obtain the requisite approval of the Branch Chairman before issuing any official publication.
“Therefore, anyone who circulated or posted the purported endorsement should as a matter of urgency pull it down immediately,” the statement directed.
The club declared all publications, statements, endorsements or communications already circulated in connection with the purported endorsement as null, void, and of no effect, advising members and the general public to disregard them.
It called on members to remain calm, exercise restraint, and refrain from any action or publication capable of exacerbating the situation, stressing that the club’s unity, integrity, and continued cohesion remain paramount.
“Our political affiliations may differ; our cultural heritage unites us. Our individual political ambitions may vary; the collective interest of our Club and our clans must remain sacrosanct,” the statement concluded.
