Governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Nigeria’s south-east have formally endorsed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a second term in office, vowing to deliver coordinated bloc votes for the ruling party in the 2027 general election.
The endorsement was spearheaded by Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, alongside Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, and Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, during a high-level meeting of APC leaders and stakeholders from the region.
The decision was announced at the South-East APC Stakeholders’ Meeting, tagged “Izu Umunna”, held in Enugu, where party leaders, lawmakers and elders resolved to strengthen their alliance with the federal government and reposition the region within national power politics.
Speaking at the meeting, Uzodimma described the endorsement as a historic and strategic move, citing what he called the economic growth and stability recorded under President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope administration.
“What could be more momentous than a motion that heralds the adoption of President Tinubu as the consensus presidential candidate for the 2027 general election, given the growth and stability our economy has witnessed under the Renewed Hope administration?” Uzodimma said, adding that the progress has stimulated expansion across critical sectors of the economy.
According to a statement issued by the Enugu State Government’s media office, stakeholders at the meeting agreed to resist what they described as the fragmentation of the south-east’s votes by personal ambitions.
They warned that such divisions had, in the past, weakened the region’s bargaining strength at the national level and limited its access to political and economic opportunities.
Uzodimma, who also chairs the South-East Governors’ Forum, said the region could no longer afford political isolation, stressing that Tinubu had shown confidence in the South-East ahead of the 2027 polls.
“Politics is pay as you earn. No zone can produce a president alone,” he said. “If we continue to vote provincially, we will remain on the sidelines of national power.”
The Imo governor recalled that the south-east contributed only about six per cent of votes to the APC in the 2023 presidential election, a figure he said weakened the region’s influence when compared to other zones that delivered between 34 and 54 per cent of votes.
He noted that the APC currently controls three of the five south-east states and has expanded its legislative presence in the region, with Senate seats increasing from six to eight and House of Representatives seats rising from eight to 23.
“These numbers give us hope, but they also give us a challenge,” Uzodimma said. “The growth among leaders must reflect at the ballot box in 2027.”
Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, described the endorsement as a “paradigm shift grounded in pragmatism,” saying it was based on tangible benefits accruing to the region through alignment with the federal government.
He cited key federal interventions, including the revival of the eastern railway corridor, gas and energy projects, and the concessioning of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu.
According to Mbah, these projects would reposition Enugu as an international gateway to the south-east and stimulate economic growth across the region.
“The Renewed Hope Agenda is beyond a political slogan,” he said. “It is about aligning vision at the centre with delivery at the states.”
Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, expressed confidence that all south-east governors would be members of the APC by 2027, urging party leaders to prioritise reconciliation and manage the growing influx of new members to ensure unity and stability within the party.
A motion endorsing President Tinubu for a second term was formally moved by former Senate President, Pius Anyim, and seconded by another former Senate President, Ken Nnamani.
Using a metaphor to underscore the need for political alignment, Nnamani said, “If you cry in the rain, nobody notices you. If you want to avoid the rain, you must stand under a shelter.”
At the end of the meeting, a communiqué jointly signed by the governors and other stakeholders declared President Tinubu as the APC’s sole presidential candidate for the 2027 election.
The communiqué rejected ego-driven and divisive politics and pledged that party leaders would deploy their human, material and political resources to deliver bloc votes for Tinubu across all five south-east states.
Other dignitaries at the meeting included the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu; former governors Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and Ikedi Ohakim; serving and former senators, members of the House of Representatives, and party elders from across the region.
