Governors of Imo, Enugu, and Ebonyi states, Hope Uzodimma, Peter Mbah, and Francis Nwifuru, alongside other South-East stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC), have formally endorsed President Bola Tinubu for a second term. They pledged to mobilise bloc votes across the region in the 2027 general election.
The endorsement was made during the South-East APC Stakeholders’ Meeting, Izu Umunna, held at the Presidential Hotel in Enugu on Saturday. Party leaders, lawmakers, and elders resolved to align fully with the ruling party, describing the move as pragmatic politics aimed at strengthening the region’s bargaining power.
Uzodimma, who chairs the South-East Governors’ Forum, said the region could no longer afford political isolation. “Politics is pay as you earn. No zone can produce a president alone. If we continue to vote provincially, we will remain on the sidelines of national power,” he warned. He noted that the South-East contributed only six per cent of APC’s votes in 2023, compared to other regions that delivered between 34 and 54 per cent.
Highlighting APC’s growing presence, Uzodimma pointed out that the party now controls three of the five South-East states, has increased Senate seats from six to eight, and expanded House of Representatives seats from eight to 23. “These numbers give us hope, but they also give us a challenge. The growth among leaders must reflect at the ballot box in 2027,” he said.
Governor Mbah described the endorsement as a “paradigm shift grounded in pragmatism,” citing federal projects such as the revival of the Eastern Railway corridor, energy initiatives, and the concession of Enugu Airport. “The Renewed Hope Agenda is beyond a political slogan. It is about aligning vision at the centre with delivery at the states,” he said.
Governor Nwifuru expressed optimism that all South-East governors would be APC members by 2027, urging reconciliation and effective management of new entrants. Former Senate Presidents Pius Anyim and Ken Nnamani moved and seconded the motion endorsing Tinubu, with Nnamani cautioning: “If you cry in the rain, nobody notices you. If you want to avoid the rain, you must stand under a shelter.”
A communiqué signed by governors and stakeholders declared Tinubu the APC’s sole presidential candidate for 2027, pledging to deploy resources to secure bloc votes across the region.
However, the endorsement drew criticism. Apostle Eugene Ogu, former chairman of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria in Rivers State, described it as “shameful,” accusing South-East leaders of deceiving the people over promises to secure the release of detained IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu. “In the entire South-East, there are no good roads, no light, and no federal government presence,” he said, warning that APC’s popularity was waning.
