A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Abia State, Paul Ikonne, has declared that the South-East has emerged as a stronghold of President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Ikonne said the region would deliver massive votes for President Tinubu, stressing that anything short of an overwhelming electoral performance would be unacceptable to APC leaders in the zone.
The APC chieftain stated this on Tuesday while speaking on TVC’s Politics Tonight, reacting to the recent endorsement of President Tinubu by South-East political leaders in Enugu.
Ikonne, who is the immediate past Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the National Agricultural Land Development Authority, NALDA, said the ruling party was aiming far beyond a simple majority in the region.
“I think we have gone beyond 70 per cent. Some schools of thought believe that with the calibre of people we have in APC today in the South-East, 90 per cent will not be a good result for us considering the moves, defections and harvest of people we are getting.
“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 explained that the APC’s mobilisation strategy was not limited to the geographical South-East but also covered Igbo communities across the country.
“Let me give you a clearer picture so you can understand what it means for the entire South. What Governor Hope Uzodinma is doing is not only for people residing in the South-East.
“No, he has set up a team that I am part of, which is now going around all the states in Nigeria where the Igbo reside, to engage and sensitise 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 the ones from those residing within the region, but also by the ones residing outside,” Ikonne said.
Using Abia State as an example, he claimed that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, had lost significant ground to the APC.
“Using Abia as a case study, PDP has almost emptied into APC in Abia State. What does that tell you? It tells you that we will have the votes lost by those in the PDP who are now part of APC in other states,” he assured.
Ikonne also downplayed the political strength of the Labour Party and its 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, arguing that shifting alliances in the South-East had weakened the opposition.
He claimed that Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, refused to follow Obi into the African Democratic Congress because he doubted the former Anambra governor’s ability to mount a strong challenge in 2027.
“Our Governor Alex Otti is minus one in the sense that he doesn’t even have a party. As of today, he’s a member of the Labour Party, but he participated in local government elections with the ZLP.
“He has abandoned Peter Obi. So what does that tell you? He started with Peter Obi and he’s not ending up with Peter Obi. Why is he afraid? Why is his interest hinting towards APC? Because he has seen that Abians and South-Easterners have shifted to support President Tinubu,” he said.
