By: Ijeoma Sandra, Nnewi.

The Presiding Bishop of Mount Zion Faith Global Liberation Ministry, a.k.a By Fire By Fire, Umudim Nnewi, Anambra State, Dr Abraham David Udeh, has called on Nigerians to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a second term in office. He also advised Mr Peter Obi and other Igbo presidential hopefuls to put their ambitions on hold.

In an interview, Bishop Udeh urged the North to continue backing a Southern presidency until after 2027, when President Tinubu would have completed his constitutionally allowed eight years.

According to him, the North has often appeared uncomfortable under Southern leadership, yet President Tinubu, he argued, has shown stronger competence compared to the immediate past President, the late Muhammadu Buhari.

He alleged that Buhari’s administration was marked by widespread insecurity, especially terrorism and banditry linked to Fulani herdsmen, which he said held the nation hostage for years. Tinubu, he maintained, has the capacity to provide stability and therefore deserves a second term.

Bishop Udeh further said that he does not support Peter Obi’s presidential pursuit, claiming that Obi would not have survived the hostility he believes would have followed if he had won the 2023 presidential election.

He added that even Tinubu’s safety, in his view, rests solely on divine protection.

“They do not want an Igbo man to lead Nigeria,” he declared. “For now, I will not support any Igbo man to contest for the presidency. Power can return to the North, but only after Tinubu completes eight years, and even then, it should go to the core Hausa, not the Fulani.”

The cleric went on to express preference for Nigeria’s restructuring or division, asserting his support for the Biafran cause.

According to him, Peter Obi should focus on championing the struggle for a Sovereign State of Biafra, insisting that Obi would “never be allowed” to become President of Nigeria.

Commenting on former U.S. President Donald Trump’s reported desire to assist Nigeria in fighting terrorism, Bishop Udeh dismissed the possibility of success.

He argued that powerful interests in the North would sabotage any genuine effort against terrorism. Instead, he said the U.S. should support a peaceful breakup of Nigeria into Biafra, Oduduwa, Middle Belt, and a Northern bloc.

He suggested that the North and Yoruba could form one country due to shared political interests, pointing to the Muslim-Muslim ticket of Tinubu’s administration as evidence of their alignment.

He added that the North Central should stand alone because of its predominantly Christian population.

On Biafra’s viability, Bishop Udeh insisted that the South East has abundant natural resources and increasing agricultural capacity. He cited the growing establishment of ranches, commercial farming, and the presence of untapped mineral deposits, including what he described as significant gold reserves in Nnewi, as indicators that a future Biafran state could boast one of Africa’s strongest economies.

He also questioned why the Nigerian government has failed to repair its refineries while the Dangote Refinery, built by an individual entrepreneur, has become the country’s major supplier of petroleum products. This, he said, raises serious concerns about governance and national priorities.

Bishop Udeh concluded that the circumstances facing Nigeria today should motivate the South East to intensify efforts toward economic self-reliance and long-term development.