By Seyi Odewale
A political group, Ndigbo for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu 2027 (NDI-ABAT), has warned President Bola Tinubu against relying solely on assurances from South-East governors ahead of the 2027 presidential election, urging the Presidency to verify political commitments through grassroots structures.
The group said cordial relations with the Presidency, cooperation with the Federal Government and actual mobilisation for Tinubu’s re-election represented different political positions that should not be conflated.
In a statement issued on Thursday, National Coordinator of NDI-ABAT, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, and Chairman, Board of Trustees, Dim Uchechukwu Okwukwu, urged the Presidency to assess its alliances through concrete actions rather than public declarations.
The warning followed the July 2026 declaration by Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, that the five South-East governors had resolved to support Tinubu’s 2027 re-election.
However, Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, subsequently said Uzodimma could not speak for every governor and maintained that the Labour Party would field its own presidential and vice-presidential candidates.
NDI-ABAT said the development showed that declarations attributed collectively to governors should not automatically be regarded as unanimous electoral commitments.
The group said Tinubu should distinguish between cooperation with him as President, support for Federal Government policies, personal political goodwill and active campaigning for his re-election.
It said Otti’s public position further highlighted the need for clarity, particularly because he supports aspects of the Tinubu administration while remaining a member of the Labour Party.
NDI-ABAT also questioned the Labour Party’s decision to field a presidential candidate against Tinubu despite Otti’s public support for aspects of the administration.
The group acknowledged Otti’s right to belong to the Labour Party and the party’s right to field a presidential candidate, but said the situation warranted public clarification.
It contrasted the LP’s position with that of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), which, according to the statement, had opted to support Tinubu’s 2027 re-election while retaining its identity and contesting legislative elections.
NDI-ABAT urged Tinubu to consider the experience of former President Goodluck Jonathan during the 2015 presidential election.
The group said Jonathan’s experience demonstrated the limits of relying on governors’ assurances without establishing direct grassroots structures.
It therefore urged the Presidency to build stronger networks across wards, polling units, local government areas, traditional institutions, youth and women groups, professionals and business communities.
“Governors are important political stakeholders, but they do not personally own the votes of their citizens,” the statement said.
NDI-ABAT said the Presidency should instead measure the strength of its alliances through grassroots mobilisation, campaign activity, party organisation and consistent public advocacy.
It also urged South-East governors backing Tinubu to clarify whether their position represented support for his administration, Federal Government policies, personal political cooperation or explicit electoral backing.
The group said such distinctions were important because the outcome of the 2027 presidential election would ultimately be determined by voters.
“Do not build the 2027 South-East strategy solely around assurances from governors,” NDI-ABAT warned.
The group said the South-East deserved a political environment where major political actors stated their positions clearly and transparently.
It stressed that its intervention was not directed against any individual governor or political party, but was aimed at promoting clarity and accountability ahead of the 2027 election.
NDI-ABAT urged Tinubu to “watch the actions, not only the words” of political actors while building his strategy for the South-East.
