South-East governors urge Igbos to support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027, citing ongoing economic reforms, infrastructure development and increased political inclusion.
Governors of Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo States have called on the people of the South-East to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027, urging them not to be swayed by what they described as political distractions.
The governors made the appeal on Saturday during the All Progressives Congress (APC) Women Mega Rally and Empowerment Programme for the South-East, held at Okpara Square, Enugu.
The governors at the event were Prof. Charles Soludo of Anambra State, Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State, Dr Peter Mbah of Enugu State and Senator Hope Uzodimma of Imo State.
Speaking at the rally, Governor Mbah urged South-Easterners to support Tinubu’s second-term ambition, arguing that his administration needed continuity to consolidate the gains of its economic reforms.
He attributed ongoing development projects, including the construction of primary healthcare centres, to the Federal Government’s economic reforms, which he said had increased resources available for development.
Mbah called on women to support Tinubu and other APC candidates in the January 16, 2027 elections and subsequent polls.
“A good sailor does not abandon his ship mid-sea because of challenges. We must finish the journey we all started together,” he said.
The governor described South-Easterners as strategic people with established businesses and relationships across different parts of the country, urging them to participate actively in the political process.
On the empowerment programme targeting 5,000 women across the South-East, Mbah disclosed that it followed the empowerment of more than 2,000 women in Enugu State within 48 hours.
He said the beneficiaries received financial assistance, support for hospital bills and business tools to improve their livelihoods.
According to him, the initiative was designed to transform women into wealth creators rather than make them dependent on repeated financial assistance.
“When you empower a woman, you strengthen the family. When you empower a woman, you build a strong community,” he said.
Mbah urged the beneficiaries to use the items and financial support provided to improve their businesses and extend the benefits to their families and communities.
Also speaking, Governor Uzodimma described the rally as historic and commended the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, for extending her empowerment initiatives to women across the South-East.
He reaffirmed the region’s commitment to supporting President Tinubu’s re-election, arguing that the South-East was beginning to experience greater political inclusion and development under the current administration.
Uzodimma recalled what he described as decades of marginalisation of the Igbo people, saying the region was witnessing a new phase of engagement with the Federal Government.
He also commended Tinubu for expanding infrastructure and economic development initiatives in the South-East.
“We are now seeing good roads, electricity, health reforms as well as educational reforms in the country. A winning team must not be changed,” he said.
The Imo governor urged voters to sustain what he described as the current development trajectory, attributing increased financial resources available to state governments to the Federal Government’s economic reforms.
He cited road projects linking Okigwe to Owerri, Umuahia to Owerri, Orlu to Owerri and Owerri to Port Harcourt as examples of infrastructure development.
Uzodimma further said improved state finances had enabled his administration to pay workers’ salaries and pensions regularly, alongside 13th-month salaries for civil servants.
In his remarks, Governor Nwifuru commended the APC-led administration’s skills acquisition and empowerment programmes, urging women in the South-East to support the party in the 2027 elections.
He described the APC as a party with a clear manifesto for national development and dismissed suggestions that he was involved in any political coalition, insisting that his loyalty remained with the ruling party.
Nwifuru called on supporters to vote for APC candidates in the January 2027 elections and subsequent electoral contests.
Similarly, Governor Soludo, represented by his Deputy, Dr Gilbert Ibezim, said the South-East had a responsibility to support Tinubu’s re-election in recognition of what he described as his administration’s achievements.
He added that the region stood to benefit from sustained cooperation with the Federal Government.
Also speaking, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, urged the Igbo people to embrace greater political participation and inclusion by supporting Tinubu’s re-election bid.
Kalu observed that no Igbo person had occupied Nigeria’s presidency in the past 60 years, stressing the importance of strengthening the region’s political alliances.
He recalled that Tinubu maintained cordial relationships with Igbo people and included some in his cabinet during his tenure as governor of Lagos State.
The Deputy Speaker also commended the establishment of the South East Development Commission (SEDC) by the Tinubu administration, describing it as an important step towards addressing the region’s developmental challenges.
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