2027: Why Tinubu Will Secure More Than 90% of Votes in the South-east – APC Chieftain

By Tgnews Reporter

A prominent chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia State, Prince Paul Ikonne, has said South-east leaders have resolved to deliver the region to incumbent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027, adding that 90 percent of the votes won’t be good enough.

Ikonne, the immediate past Executive Secretary and CEO of the National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA), revealed that the entire South-east is almost a one-party region for the President.

Speaking during an interview on the popular TVC programme “Politics Tonight” on Tuesday evening, Ikonne dismissed the influence of the Labour Party. He revealed that Governor Alex Otti refused to follow Peter Obi to the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC) because he knew Obi would not go far.

He also said Governor Alex Otti is no longer a factor because the governor does not even have a party to function in.

While reacting to the recent endorsement of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu by South-east leaders in Enugu State, Ikonne said: “I think we have gone beyond seventy percent. Some schools of thought believe that with the number of people and the calibre of people we have in the APC today in the South-east, 90 percent will not be a good result for us, considering the moves, the decamping, and the harvest of people that we are getting.

“Let me give you a clearer picture so you can understand what it means for the entire South-east. What Governor Hope Uzodinma is doing is not only for Southeasterners residing in the South-east. No, he has set up a team—which I am part of—now going around all the states in Nigeria where Igbos reside, for us to begin to engage them, sensitise them, and for them to understand the need to key into the 2027 re-election bid of Mr President.

“So the votes that will come from the South-east will not only be judged by those from residents within the South-east but also from those residing outside the South-east. Outside that, using Abia as a case study, the PDP has almost emptied into the APC in Abia State. What does that tell you? It tells you that the votes which were lost without having the PDP are now with us in the APC in other states.”

When asked about the influence and popularity of Governor Alex Otti in Abia State, Ikonne said: “Our governor is minus one. This Governor Alex Otti is minus one in the sense that he doesn’t even have a party. As of today, he is a member of the Labour Party, but he conducted local government elections with the ZLP.

“He has abandoned Peter Obi. So what does that tell you? He started with Peter Obi and is not ending up with Peter Obi. Why is he afraid? Why is his interest hinting towards the APC? Because you have seen that people have shifted—Abians have shifted, Southeasterners have shifted—to support President Tinubu.

“Now, no Southeasterner will want to stay out or want this region to stay out of the centre. We cannot keep isolating ourselves. No, Southeasterners are no longer willing and ready to isolate themselves from governance because we need power, and we are traders; we are businessmen and women.

“Aligning with the centre helps our businesses. We are all over Nigeria and we cannot be seen to be against the government at the centre. That is why the work that Governor Hope and other leaders are putting in is to ensure that our people understand the need for us to re-elect President Tinubu—not just with 10 or 20 percent, no.

“I did say sometime ago that the South-east will eventually become the stronghold of the APC, and with this endorsement, it is beginning to be obvious that we are getting towards that point.”

The APC chieftain said Peter Obi no longer commands the political strength to match President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the South-east ahead of the 2027 general election.

According to him, the endorsement by serving governors, former governors, ex-Senate Presidents, ministers, and other top political figures marks a strategic return of the South-east to the centre of national politics and naturally diminishes Obi’s standing ahead of 2027.

“The calibre of leaders backing this endorsement shows a clear consolidation of political structures in favour of President Tinubu and the APC,” Ikonne said.

“Politics is about numbers and structure. When leaders who command followership align, the votes follow.

“This endorsement is a clear statement that the South-east has properly realigned with the centre to ensure that its votes count,” he said.

He further downplayed the political strength of Peter Obi, arguing that his influence has weakened considerably, particularly in the South-east.

“If the only governor elected on his platform has effectively abandoned him, what does that tell you?” Ikonne asked, referring to Abia State Governor Alex Otti.

Ikonne also alleged internal disarray within Obi’s new political platform, the African Democratic Congress (ADC), and said the absence of strong party structures would make it difficult for Obi to mount a serious challenge in 2027.

He dismissed claims that the APC is struggling for credibility in the South-east, insisting that the ruling party has become the major destination for defectors from rival parties in the region.

“The Igbos are not fools, and no Igbo man wants to make the same mistake twice. No, not at all,” he said.

The APC chieftain also dismissed recent criticism of the President by the Senator representing Abia South Senatorial District, Enyinnaya Abaribe, saying the Senator knew that he has lost relevance and cannot be re-elected in the coming election.