UPDATED: Igbo leaders planning summit to endorse Tinubu for second term – Umahi

Prominent Igbo leaders, including the governors of the five South-east states, are planning a summit to declare support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027, an official has said.

Nigeria’s Minister of Works Dave Umahi said this in an upcoming State House documentary marking President Tinubu’s second anniversary, presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga wrote in a statement on Tuesday.

“All the governors in the South-east, regardless of party affiliation, are working with the president. We’re even planning a summit to bring together all South-east leaders to endorse the president for the 2027 elections formally,” Mr Umahi, the immediate past governor of Ebonyi State, said.

Tinubu’s second term ambition

Mr Tinubu has yet to formally declare his intention to run for a second term, but is expected to do so.

His first term would be concluded by 29 May 2027 with another general election expected earlier that same year.

The president narrowly won the 2023 presidential election, winning in only 12 of Nigeria’s 36 states.

Mr Tinubu lost in all five South-east states – Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo and Abia – scoring less than 10 per cent of the total votes cast in the region.

Of the five states, two – Imo and Ebonyi – are officially governed by the APC, while the other three – Abia (Labour Party), Enugu (PDP) and Anambra (APGA) – are governed by three different political parties.

Join the Premium Times WhatsApp Community For Quick Access To News and Happenings Around You.

Open in WhatsApp

Mr Umahi, however, claimed that all five governors are working for the president.

While Mr Tinubu lost in all five South-east states in 2023, Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi won in all of them, scoring over 75 per cent of the total votes cast in the region.

Additionally, the APC has yet to enjoy huge followership in the South-east.

Why Peter Obi should support Tinubu in 2027 – Umahi

In his interview, Mr Umahi urged Mr Obi to drop his presidential ambition and support Mr Tinubu’s re-election bid.

The minister argued that “leadership is not about self,” stressing that Mr Obi should support Mr Tinubu because the president was already carrying out projects that Mr Obi would have done for the region if he had emerged president in 2023.

“I call on my brother, His Excellency Peter Obi, to join us and work with Mr. President.

“He (Obi) must be part of this summit where we will collectively endorse President Tinubu for the 2027 election. I say it boldly: the South-east is happy with the president,” he said.

‘Tinubu has made progress in fighting marginalisation of the South-east’

The Igbo-speaking people of the South-east have often complained that they were being marginalised in the Nigerian project especially with regards to infrastructural developments and federal appointments.

ALSO READ: 2027: All South-east governors behind Tinubu, Umahi says

But Mr Umahi claimed that Mr Tinubu’s administration had made significant progress in addressing the “long-standing concerns” about infrastructure and appointments in the region.

“The Igbo man is enterprising and blessed with God-given wisdom. What Ndi Igbo seek is fairness, Nigeria that treats every zone equally. That is what President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is doing.

“Today, the South-east has a minister of works for the first time, and we’re seeing real projects – Port Harcourt to Enugu, Enugu to Abakaliki, Enugu to Onitsha, Onitsha to Owerri, and the Second Niger Bridge.

“Before, when I was governor and deputy governor, one of our major concerns in Ebonyi State was the lack of federal presence. But today, nobody remembers that issue anymore,” he said.

“Under President Tinubu, at least four federal projects are ongoing in Ebonyi State.”