From Maurice Okafor, Enugu
Governors of the South-East states and the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, have urged Ndigbo to rally behind President Bola Tinubu and support his re-election bid in the 2027 presidential election.
The call was made at the All Progressives Congress (APC) Women Mega Rally and Empowerment Programme for the South-East, flagged off by the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, at Okpara Square, Enugu, on Saturday, October 31.
The governors, Peter Mbah of Enugu State, Hope Uzodimma of Imo State, Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State and Charles Soludo of Anambra State, urged the people of the region to disregard political distractions and support the Tinubu administration to consolidate its economic reforms and development programmes.
Speaking at the rally, the host governor, Mbah, appealed to residents of the region to support Tinubu’s re-election, saying the administration needed more time to consolidate the gains of its economic policies.
He attributed ongoing development projects in Enugu State, including the construction of Smart Green Schools and Type 2 Primary Healthcare Centres, to increased financial allocations to states following the Federal Government’s economic reforms.
“If I ask what future you want for your children, I’m sure you are seeing that future unfolds gradually through the bold and courageous reforms of Mr. President.
“It is through those reforms that enough money has been made available to all the states. Which is why in Enugu, when you look around you, you will see the Smart Green Schools, Type 2 Primary Healthcare Centres, and numerous other projects and initiatives we have undertaken in just three years,” he said.
Mbah argued that the reforms had started yielding results, urging Nigerians not to abandon the process midway.
“This is happening because of the bold and courageous reforms of Mr. President and we know the job is not finished yet. A good sailor does not abandon his ship mid-sea because of challenges.
“So, we must finish the journey we all started together. We must come out on January 16 with our PVC and ensure that the good work Mr. President is doing will continue,” he added.
The governor also urged the Igbo people to sustain their longstanding relationships with other parts of the country, describing political support for Tinubu as an opportunity to strengthen national integration.
“Don’t listen to any voice. Those voices telling us a different thing. We, the Igbos have gone to communities outside our zone to build businesses. And we also know how to build relationships. And that is being put to test. We are not a people that are ethnic bigots. We are a people that are strategic.
“And that is why we must all come out in our numbers and support Mr. President to continue the good work. Support all our APC candidates to ensure that they are returned come January and February,” he said.
On the empowerment programme targeting 5,000 women across the South-East, Mbah recalled that the First Lady had earlier empowered more than 2,000 women in Enugu State, including assisting with the payment of hospital bills, within 48 hours.
“When you empower a woman, you strengthen the family. When you empower a woman, you build a strong community,” he said.
Similarly, Uzodimma reaffirmed the South-East’s commitment to supporting Tinubu’s second-term ambition, arguing that the region was beginning to experience greater political inclusion under the current administration.
He said the Igbo people had endured decades of marginalisation but were now witnessing renewed attention to infrastructure and economic development in the region.
The governor commended Tinubu for what he described as improvements in road infrastructure, electricity, healthcare and education.
“We are now seeing good roads, electricity, health reforms as well as educational reforms in the country. A winning team must not be changed,” he said.
Uzodimma also maintained that the Federal Government’s economic reforms had increased the resources available to state governments to execute development projects.
“We have more money to build Okigwe to Owerri, Umuahia to Owerri, Orlu to Owerri and Owerri to Port Harcourt roads,” he said.
He added that improved revenue had enabled his administration to meet its salary and pension obligations regularly, including the payment of 13th-month salaries to workers.
In his remarks, Nwifuru described Tinubu’s re-election as the primary political objective of Ndigbo in 2027, insisting that the APC had a clear manifesto capable of sustaining national development and advancing the interests of the South-East.
He also dismissed suggestions that he was involved in any political coalition, reaffirming his loyalty to the APC and urging supporters to vote for the party’s candidates at all levels in the forthcoming elections.
Soludo, who was represented by his Deputy, Dr Gilbert Ibezim, also called on the South-East to support Tinubu’s re-election, saying the region stood to benefit from sustained cooperation with the Federal Government.
He said the administration’s achievements provided reasons for the people of the region to maintain their support for the President.
Also addressing the rally, Kalu urged the Igbo people to embrace political inclusion and strengthen their alliances across the country by supporting Tinubu’s re-election.
The Deputy Speaker observed that the South-East had not produced a Nigerian president in the past six decades, arguing that the region should not be bound by any alleged one-term arrangement for an Igbo presidency.
He, however, stressed the need for Ndigbo to build stronger political relationships across the country to achieve their ambition of producing a president who could serve two terms in the future.
Kalu recalled that Tinubu, during his tenure as governor of Lagos State, maintained cordial relations with the Igbo community and appointed people from the region into his cabinet.
He also commended the President for establishing the South-East Development Commission (SEDC), describing it as an important intervention towards addressing the region’s developmental challenges.
Addressing the gathering, the First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, conveyed the President’s goodwill message and urged Nigerians not to lose hope because of the economic difficulties associated with his administration’s reforms.
She expressed optimism that the country was approaching a period of economic prosperity, likening the reform process to childbirth, which involves pain before delivery.
“Mr. President said I should greet everyone. We have done reforms and we are now in prosperity. Don’t allow anyone to deceive you. The worst is over. We are stepping into prosperity,” she said.
The First Lady described the empowerment initiative as evidence of the APC government’s commitment to translating its promises into practical support for Nigerians.
She said the party was combining political mobilisation with economic interventions aimed at improving the welfare of women and families.
She consequently urged women to mobilise support for Tinubu and other APC candidates in the 2027 general elections, while encouraging them to hold political aspirants accountable for their records on empowerment and development.
Other dignitaries at the rally included the wife of the Vice-President, Hajiya Nana Shettima; wife of the Senate President, Mrs Uloma Akpabio; wives of South-East governors; Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Doris Uzoka-Anite; Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr Kingsley Udeh (SAN); and Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim.
Also present were the APC Deputy National Chairman (South), Dr Ben Nwoye; the party’s National Women Leader and Director-General of the Women Wing of the Presidential Campaign Council, Dr Mary Alile-Idele; South-East Zonal Women Leader, Dr Oby Ajih; members of the National and State Assemblies, local government chairmen and other party stakeholders.
The women mobilisation directorate of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, led by the First Lady, commenced its zonal activities in the South-East and is expected to extend the programme to the remaining five geopolitical zones.
