Nollywood actor Yul Edochie has publicly called out Senator Victor Umeh for labelling any Igbo person who refuses to support Peter Obi’s 2027 presidential bid an enemy of Ndigbo. In a direct Instagram video posted on 10 November 2026, the actor warned that such statements risk tearing the Igbo community apart ahead of the elections.
Senator Umeh, who represents Anambra Central, made the remarks on 7 November 2026 during an event organised by the Knights of St John International at St Patrick Catholic Church in Awka, Anambra State. A video of his speech went viral, in which he described Peter Obi as the “conscience” of the Igbo people and declared that any Igbo man who stands against voting for him is an enemy of the Igbo.
Yul Edochie responded with measured but firm language, first acknowledging respect for the senator before rejecting the message.
“Senator Victor Umeh, you are somebody I have a lot of respect for. It is wrong, sir. It is very wrong,” he said.
He continued:
“You are creating division amongst Ndigbo. Allow people to vote for whoever they want to vote for. It does not make them enemies of Ndigbo.”
The actor argued that political preference has nothing to do with ethnic loyalty and warned of the long-term damage such rhetoric could cause. He explained that if these kinds of messages are not challenged early, they take root in people’s minds and lead Igbo people to start viewing one another as adversaries.
“Before election, you are an Igbo man. After election, you are still an Igbo man,” Edochie stressed.
He drew a clear comparison with politics in the South-West. Edochie noted that both President Bola Tinubu and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde come from the same region, yet no Yoruba leader has ever branded supporters of one candidate as enemies of the West.
“I have never seen any Westerner say that because someone supported Makinde or Tinubu, they are an enemy of the West. So why do you make that kind of statement? Why?” he asked.
Edochie also reminded Umeh of his own history of moving between political parties based on interest, describing that as a normal part of Nigerian politics. He urged Ndigbo to judge candidates only by whether they deliver real development to Igbo land, not by loyalty tests. The actor concluded that even within a family, people do not always agree on everything, yet the most important thing remains moving forward together.