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By Chinelo Ogbodo (Enugu State Correspondent)
Governors of the South-East have urged the people of the region to vote massively for President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election, warning against “deceit and political distractions.”
The governors are Peter Mbah (Enugu), Charles Soludo (Anambra), Francis Nwifuru (Ebonyi) and Hope Uzodimma (Imo).
They made the call on Saturday at the APC Women Mega Rally and Empowerment Programme for the South-East, flagged off by the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, at Okpara Square, Enugu.
Host governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, urged the region to support the President’s re-election to consolidate the gains of his economic reforms, which he said had made more money available to states.
“If I ask what future you want for your children, I’m sure you are seeing that future unfold gradually through the bold and courageous reforms of Mr. President,” Mbah said. “It is through those reforms that enough money has been made available to all the states. Which is why in Enugu, when you look around you, you will see the Smart Green Schools, Type 2 Primary Healthcare Centres and numerous other projects we have undertaken in just three years.
“This is happening because of the bold and courageous reforms of Mr. President and we know the job is not finished yet. A good sailor does not abandon his ship mid-sea because of challenges. So, we must finish the journey we all started together. We must come out on January 16 with our PVC and ensure that the good work Mr. President is doing will continue.”
Mbah dismissed opposition voices, describing Ndigbo as strategic people and relationship builders rather than ethnic bigots.
“Don’t listen to any voice. Those voices telling us a different thing. We, the Igbos, have gone to communities outside our zone to build businesses. And we also know how to build relationships. And that is being put to test. We are not a people that are ethnic bigots. We are a people that are strategic.
“And that is why we must all come out in our numbers and support Mr. President to continue the good work. Support all our APC candidates to ensure that they are returned come January and February,” he said.
On the empowerment programme targeting 5,000 women across the South-East, Mbah said it followed the empowerment of more than 2,000 women, including the payment of hospital bills, in Enugu by the First Lady within 48 hours. “When you empower a woman, you strengthen the family. When you empower a woman, you build a strong community,” he said.
Governor Uzodimma said the region was committed to Tinubu’s re-election, arguing that Igbos had experienced marginalisation for over 60 years but were beginning to witness a new era of political inclusion and development under the President.
“We are now seeing good roads, electricity, health reforms as well as educational reforms in the country. A winning team must not be changed,” Uzodimma said. He added that the federal government’s reforms had increased resources available to states, citing road projects including Okigwe–Owerri, Umuahia–Owerri, Orlu–Owerri and Owerri–Port Harcourt. He also said improved finances had enabled his administration to pay salaries and pensions consistently, including 13th-month salaries.
Governor Nwifuru said the number one mission for Ndigbo in 2027 was to re-elect the President, describing the APC as the only party with a clear and identifiable manifesto capable of sustaining development and advancing the Igbo course. He dismissed suggestions of his involvement in any political coalition, stressing that his loyalty remained with the APC, and urged supporters to vote for the party’s candidates at all levels.
Governor Soludo, represented by his Deputy, Dr. Gilbert Ibezim, said the South-East had a responsibility to support Tinubu’s re-election in appreciation of his administration’s achievements, adding that the region stood to benefit more from continued collaboration with the Federal Government.
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, urged Igbos to embrace political inclusion by supporting Tinubu’s re-election, noting that the region had not produced a President in 60 years and was therefore not party to any one-term arrangement for an Igbo presidency.
He, however, stressed that the Igbo needed to strengthen political alliances across the country to actualise a full two-term Igbo presidency in the near future. Kalu recalled that Tinubu, as governor of Lagos State, maintained cordial relationships with Igbos and included them in his cabinet, and commended the administration for establishing the South East Development Commission, describing it as a major step towards addressing the region’s developmental challenges.
Addressing the rally, the First Lady conveyed the President’s goodwill message and urged Nigerians not to be discouraged by the economic challenges associated with the reforms, insisting the country was moving towards prosperity.
She likened the process to childbirth, noting that although labour could be painful, it ultimately led to delivery. “Mr. President said I should greet everyone. We have done reforms and we are now in prosperity. Don’t allow anyone to deceive you. The worst is over. We are stepping into prosperity,” she said.
Senator Tinubu described the empowerment initiative as proof of the APC government’s commitment to translating promises into practical interventions, noting that the party was combining political mobilisation with economic support. She urged the women to mobilise support for the President and APC candidates in 2027, and to hold aspirants accountable for their records of empowerment and development.
Among dignitaries at the rally were the wife of the Vice-President, Hajiya Nana Shettima; wife of the Senate President, Mrs. Uloma Akpabio; wives of the South-East governors; Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite; Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr. Kingsley Udeh (SAN); and Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim.
Also present were APC Deputy National Chairman (South), Dr. Ben Nwoye; National Women Leader of the APC and Director-General of the Women Wing of the Presidential Campaign Council, Dr. Mary Alile-Idele; South-East Zonal Woman Leader, Dr. Oby Ajih; members of the National and State Assemblies, local government chairmen and other party stakeholders.
The rally, organised by the Remi Tinubu-led Women Mobilisation Directorate of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, kicked off in the South-East and will be held across the remaining five geopolitical zones. NNL.
