By BONIFACE AKARAH

A socio-political group, South East Patriots (SEP), has been formally registered as an official support group of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), marking what it described as a significant step in building a national coalition aimed at rebuilding Nigeria through structural reforms and people-centred governance.

In a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Obunike Ohaegbu, SEP said the registration provides a structured platform through which the aspirations, ideas and development priorities of the South East can be articulated within a national political framework.

“The registration of SEP within the ADC platform provides an organised structure through which the aspirations, ideas and development priorities of the South East can be articulated and pursued within a national framework,” the statement said.

The group urged people of the South East geopolitical zone, both at home and in the diaspora, to register with the ADC and participate actively in the party’s democratic process.

“The South East must engage constructively in national politics. The ADC presently offers the shortest route and most credible democratic pathway to the emergence of a President from the South East, anchored on fairness, constitutional reform and national balance,” SEP said.

SEP said its participation within the ADC platform would focus on policy advocacy aimed at strengthening national productivity, economic integration and equitable political representation.

Among the key policy priorities outlined by the group is the decongestion of Nigeria’s seaports through the revitalisation of eastern ports, including Port Harcourt, Onne, Warri and Calabar, to reduce pressure on Lagos ports and create new commercial corridors across the federation.

SEP also called for the strategic development of inland waterways, including dredging the River Niger to allow commercial vessels transport goods from eastern ports to inland cities such as Lokoja and Makurdi, thereby opening a major north–south trade corridor.

“Such development will reduce pressure on federal highways, lower logistics costs and create new inland commercial hubs linking southern ports with northern markets,” the group said.

SEP further advocated the expansion of gas and electricity infrastructure across the South East to support industrial growth. It cited the extension of existing gas supply networks, including infrastructure supplying power generation to Aba, to other major commercial centres in the region as a practical step toward creating a regional gas-to-power industrial corridor.

The group also highlighted the need to develop energy infrastructure projects in Onitsha, Okija and the Anambra Basin, noting that such projects could significantly increase electricity generation and restore the South East’s manufacturing capacity.

“Reliable energy supply remains the single most important factor in restoring the South East as one of Nigeria’s foremost manufacturing hubs,” SEP stated.

The organisation also backed the completion and expansion of national rail infrastructure, particularly the Port Harcourt–Aba–Enugu–Makurdi–Maiduguri rail corridor, which it said would improve regional connectivity and reduce transportation costs for goods and passengers.

On political reforms, SEP reiterated its support for the constitutional rotation of the presidency among Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones as a means of promoting fairness, stability and national unity.

The group also proposed a single non-renewable six-year presidential term, arguing that it would reduce the influence of re-election politics, curb corruption associated with campaign financing and encourage long-term policy planning.

Calling for wider political participation, SEP urged youths, professionals, entrepreneurs, students, civil society organisations and members of the diaspora to join the ADC and take part in shaping Nigeria’s political future.

“The time has come for constructive engagement, strategic participation and national leadership. Nigeria must work again,” the statement added.