Igbo Leaders Planning Summit to Endorse Tinubu for Second Term – Works Minister David Umahi

 

Prominent political figures from Nigeria’s South-east are reportedly charting a course to back President Bola Tinubu for a second term, despite his dismal performance in the region during the 2023 elections. According to Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, a summit involving governors and key stakeholders from the five South-east states is being planned to formally declare support for Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.

Umahi revealed this development in a forthcoming State House documentary celebrating President Tinubu’s second year in office, as detailed in a statement released by presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga.

Highlighting the current alignment of regional leaders with the president, Umahi—who previously served as governor of Ebonyi State—stated, “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.”

President Tinubu, who is yet to officially declare his intention to seek re-election, is widely expected to run. His 2023 electoral victory was narrow, as he secured wins in only 12 out of Nigeria’s 36 states. Notably, the South-east proved to be a major stronghold for the Labour Party’s Peter Obi, who swept all five states—Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo, and Abia—with a commanding margin, garnering over 75 percent of the votes in the region. Tinubu managed to pull in less than 10 percent.

The political landscape in the South-east remains fragmented. While Imo and Ebonyi are governed by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the remaining states are under the control of different opposition parties. Still, Umahi insisted that all five governors are united in their cooperation with Tinubu’s administration, hinting at a growing political consensus that transcends party lines.

Umahi also made a direct appeal to Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s flagbearer in the last election, calling on him to shelve his presidential ambition in favor of President Tinubu. “I encourage him to join hands with the president for the sake of national unity and continued development,” Umahi was quoted as saying.

The revelation has sparked curiosity and debate within political circles, especially given the overwhelming support Obi received from the South-east during the last election cycle. Observers view the planned summit as a strategic effort by the presidency to reclaim lost ground in a region where it was decisively rejected just two years ago.

With 2027 still over two years away, the unfolding political maneuvers suggest early groundwork is being laid to reshape regional alliances and potentially rewrite the electoral dynamics that characterized the last presidential race.