By Seyi Odewale
The apex Igbo sociocultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, has declared that supporting the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027 represents the “best political option” for the Southeast as the region positions itself for greater relevance in national power negotiations.
Ohanaeze said the decision was part of a broader political strategy aimed at securing the Southeast’s vice-presidential slot in 2031 under the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
In a statement issued on Sunday by the Deputy President-General of the organisation, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, and the National Spokesman, Chief Thompson Ohia, the group said the position followed consultations involving Southeast governors, former governors and serving ministers from the zone.
The organisation stated, “After careful deliberation and objective assessment, Ohanaeze Ndigbo affirms that it is in the best collective interest of the Igbo nation to support the re-election bid of President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027.”
According to the group, the political arrangement would enable the Southeast to consolidate negotiations for the vice presidential position after Tinubu’s tenure, while ensuring continued federal attention to infrastructure and economic development projects in the region.
“This approach is aimed at securing the 2031 Vice Presidency under the APC and ensuring that the Southeast benefits fully from federal initiatives,” the statement added.
Ohanaeze further claimed that stakeholders from the Southeast had reached a consensus that no prominent Igbo politician should challenge Tinubu in the next presidential election.
The group specifically mentioned the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, insisting that the Southeast should avoid a confrontation with the incumbent president in 2027.
“Ohanaeze Ndigbo reiterates the decisions reached jointly with the Southeast Governors’ Forum, the Forum of Former Governors, and Southeast Serving Ministers in January 2026. These decisions emphasised that no Igbo candidate, including Mr Peter Obi, should challenge President Tinubu in 2027,” the statement said.
The organisation argued that such political restraint would create space for the Federal Government to complete ongoing infrastructure projects, address demands for additional states in the Southeast, and implement policies to boost economic growth in the region.
Ohanaeze also congratulated Tinubu over his emergence in the APC presidential primaries and commended governors allegedly securing second-term tickets ahead of the 2027 elections.
The group gave special recognition to Rt. Hon. Kingsley Chinda over his reported emergence as APC governorship candidate in Rivers State.
It further disclosed that negotiations had commenced with key political stakeholders to ensure that an Igbo politician emerges as vice president after Tinubu’s tenure.
“Strategic negotiations have commenced with key political stakeholders, including the Presidency, to ensure that upon the completion of President Tinubu’s tenure in 2031, a devoted Igbo leader ascends to the office of Vice President,” the statement noted.
Ohanaeze named the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, and former Enugu State governor, Chimaroke Nnamani, among possible beneficiaries of the proposed political arrangement.
