(DDM) – The 2023 Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Justice Professor Peter Umeadi, has officially resigned from the party and announced his withdrawal from active politics in Nigeria.
Diaspora Digital Media (DDM) gathered that Umeadi, who is also a retired Chief Judge of Anambra State, made the announcement in a formal statement released on Saturday, citing personal convictions and a desire to return to private life as his main reasons.
According to Umeadi, his decision marks the end of his brief political journey, which began after his retirement from the judiciary when he joined APGA to contest for the presidency during the 2023 general elections.
The former presidential candidate, who was among the few technocrats to emerge from the Southeast in the last election cycle, said he had given his best to national politics but decided it was time to step aside for new voices to take the lead.
Umeadi’s statement partly read: “After due consultation and personal reflection, I hereby tender my resignation from the All Progressives Grand Alliance and formally withdraw from partisan politics in Nigeria. My involvement in the 2023 presidential race was driven by a deep sense of service, but I now wish to redirect my focus to private and civic engagements.”
He expressed gratitude to APGA leadership, members, and supporters who believed in his vision during the election, adding that he bears no grievances against the party or its leadership.
Political observers told DDM that Umeadi’s exit represents another setback for APGA, a party that has struggled to maintain its national presence outside Anambra State since the demise of its founder, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu.
Umeadi’s resignation also raises questions about APGA’s internal cohesion, as recent months have seen increasing friction between state-level executives and national officers over leadership control and the party’s future direction.
DDM recalls that Justice Umeadi, a respected legal scholar and advocate of judicial reform, was widely seen as a moral voice within APGA. His 2023 campaign focused on constitutional governance, judicial independence, and federal restructuring — issues that resonated with many Nigerians but gained limited traction due to APGA’s small political machinery at the national level.
Before venturing into politics, Umeadi had served as Chief Judge of Anambra State for several years and earned recognition for his integrity, reforms, and mentorship of young legal professionals.
Reacting to his decision, some political commentators said Umeadi’s departure underscores the frustration of many intellectuals who venture into Nigerian politics hoping to bring change but later withdraw due to systemic corruption, lack of internal democracy, and godfatherism.
A top APGA source who spoke with DDM on condition of anonymity said the party respected Umeadi’s choice and would soon announce new strategies for rebuilding its national image ahead of future elections.
Meanwhile, party loyalists in Anambra and Enugu have expressed disappointment over the development, describing Umeadi as “a man of integrity” whose calm and disciplined leadership style brought dignity to the party during the 2023 election season.
Umeadi did not disclose his next move but hinted that he would continue to engage in advocacy for legal reforms and civic education outside partisan politics.
His exit, analysts say, further highlights the continuing decline of smaller political parties in Nigeria’s two-party-dominated system, where national influence remains largely concentrated between the APC and PDP.
