By Chukwudi Obasi
The Ndigbo for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu 2027 Forum (NDI-ABAT) has unveiled a strategy aimed at addressing what it described as the All Progressives Congress’ (APC) prolonged electoral weakness in the South-East ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
The forum said the party must confront the results of the 2015, 2019 and 2023 presidential elections and identify weaknesses in its grassroots organisation, voter engagement, political communication and coordination before developing an effective strategy for the next contest.
In a statement on Sunday by its National Coordinator, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, and Secretary-General, Dr Ugwuokwu Ugwuoke Jr., NDI-ABAT said the region should not be approached only during election periods, urging sustained engagement with voters and community stakeholders.
“APC cannot develop an effective 2027 South-East strategy without first confronting the electoral realities of the previous three presidential elections,” the forum said, stressing that historical voting patterns should be examined without sentiment.
NDI-ABAT, which is backing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid, said the South-East’s previous electoral outcomes should not simply be interpreted as hostility towards the APC or the President, but should prompt an assessment of the party’s political strategy and engagement.
“The problem is not the Igbo people; the strategy must be examined,” the forum said, calling for sustained engagement with traditional institutions, professional bodies, young voters, women, business communities, civil society organisations and grassroots structures.
The group also raised concerns about what it described as uneven commitment among some APC leaders in the region, saying political leaders seeking improved electoral performance must demonstrate measurable activity at ward and polling-unit levels rather than rely on last-minute campaigns and political visits.
“The South-East challenge is serious, and so must be the response,” NDI-ABAT said, arguing that the party could not expect substantially different results if it reproduced the organisational patterns of previous campaigns.
The proposed blueprint includes stronger grassroots mobilisation, ward and polling-unit organisation, youth mobilisation, strategic communication, voter education and improved coordination among APC stakeholders, while also advocating lawful participation and sustained community-level engagement.
The forum stressed that the blueprint was not a guarantee of an electoral outcome, but a framework for addressing structural weaknesses and establishing what it described as a more credible political presence in the region ahead of 2027.
NDI-ABAT also warned political parties against waiting until the final months of the electoral cycle before commencing serious mobilisation, saying sustained engagement and credible structures were necessary for any party seeking to expand its support base.
“2027 cannot be left to last-minute politics,” the forum said, urging APC stakeholders to study the lessons of 2015, 2019 and 2023 and develop measurable mechanisms for assessing their grassroots presence.
The group said its assessment and proposed blueprint could be submitted to President Tinubu or Seyi Tinubu through an appropriate channel, with the aim of ensuring that the recommendations reached the relevant political leadership early enough for consideration in the party’s 2027 strategy.
