Speaking on SYMFONI TV, Umeh said: "We almost overcame this mindset in 2023. Initially, people said Peter Obi could not get votes because he was Igbo. Some people are still thinking that way today."
He added: "But when the election results came out, reality spoke for itself."
Umeh also revealed that he was part of the Labour Party team that explored a possible alliance with the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) ahead of the election.
"I was one of the three Labour Party representatives who held discussions with the NNPP regarding a possible alliance.
Alongside me were Doyin Okupe and Julius Abure. NNPP was represented by Alhaji Abubakar Garba Doma, Mr. Baffa, and Mr. Johnson from Lagos," he said.
According to Umeh, the talks broke down over the sharing of the top ticket. "We met for two days, but we could not agree on who would be the presidential candidate and who would be the vice-presidential candidate," he said.
He recalled that skeptics at the time questioned Obi's viability, with many asking: "How many votes can he get?"
The election results, however, told a different story. Peter Obi pulled in over six million votes, while NNPP candidate Rabiu Kwankwaso trailed far behind with approximately 1.4 million votes, a outcome that Umeh says silenced the doubters and forced a rethink among those who had written Obi off before voting day.
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