The Kwankwaso National Network, KNN, South-East Zone, has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, of treating the South-East unfairly and leaving the region behind in critical areas of national infrastructure and development.

The group particularly lamented the absence of functional rail services in the South-East, despite major investments in railway infrastructure across other parts of the country.

South-East Zonal Coordinator of KNN, Dr Ukpai Iro Ukpai, said in a statement issued Friday in Umuahia that the region had continued to suffer what he described as neglect in the distribution of critical federal infrastructure.

Ukpai regretted that the railway facilities and services which once connected parts of the South-East had remained inactive for years, with no comparable modern rail infrastructure put in place to serve the region.

He said the situation had worsened the movement of people and goods, increased pressure on already congested highways and denied businesses in the region the economic advantages associated with efficient rail transportation.

According to him, the condition of several federal roads linking major commercial centres in the South-East has also remained a source of concern to residents, transporters and business operators.

KNN argued that the South-East, with its enormous contribution to commerce, trade, manufacturing and national development, deserved greater attention in federal infrastructure planning.

The group said the region required functional rail links connecting its major cities and industrial hubs, improved federal highways and stronger infrastructure to support trade and economic integration.

“The South-East cannot continue to be treated as an afterthought in the scheme of things,” the statement said.

“It is difficult to understand why a region renowned for enterprise and commerce should continue to struggle without the level of modern transportation infrastructure required to unlock its full economic potential.”

KNN also questioned what it described as the inadequate attention to the development of key economic gateways in the zone, arguing that improved access to seaports and other trade infrastructure would significantly boost businesses and reduce the cost of moving goods.

The group said the South-East had not received what it considered fair treatment since the APC assumed power at the federal level.

According to the statement, the present situation had created a growing feeling of exclusion among many residents of the region.

“The people of the South-East are Nigerians with equal rights and responsibilities. They deserve equitable treatment, inclusion and a fair share of national development,” KNN said.

The group urged political leaders from the zone to speak more forcefully for the interests of their people rather than, in its words, merely celebrating political appointments and patronage.

It said the test of political representation should be the ability to attract meaningful development, defend the interests of constituents and ensure that no section of the country is treated as less important.

KNN maintained that an Obi–Kwankwaso presidency would pursue a more inclusive Nigeria where development would not be determined by ethnicity, religion or political affiliation.

“Under an Obi–Kwankwaso presidency, no region will be treated as a conquered territory, and no Nigerian will be made to feel like a second-class citizen,” the group said.

It promised that the proposed administration would focus on fairness, equity, productive investments and the development of infrastructure capable of connecting all parts of the country.

The group urged South-East voters not to be swayed by what it described as repeated campaign promises, but to demand measurable commitments on rail transportation, federal roads, industrial development and economic infrastructure before making electoral decisions in 2027.

“It is shameful that the APC is still returning to seek support from a region that has continued to cry out over the absence of functional modern rail services and other critical infrastructure needed to drive its economy,” the statement said.

The group re-stated its target of mobilising at least five million votes for Obi-Kwankwaso from the South East.

KNN said the 2027 election should provide an opportunity for Nigerians to interrogate the records of political parties and insist on a government that treats every geopolitical zone with fairness.

“The South-East will not ask for charity. What the people demand is equity, justice and their rightful place in the Nigerian project,” the group declared. (Vanguard)