A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in Abia State, Prince Paul Ikonne, has declared that the South-East has effectively realigned with President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general election.
Speaking on TVC’s Politics Tonight on Tuesday, Ikonne insisted that anything short of an overwhelming electoral showing for the President in the region would be unacceptable to party leaders.
Reacting to the recent endorsement of Tinubu by South-East political leaders in Enugu, the immediate past Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) said the APC was targeting far more than a simple majority in the zone.
“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 ruling party’s mobilisation strategy extends beyond the geographical South-East to 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.
“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 dismissed the political influence of the Labour Party and its 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, arguing that shifting alliances in the region have weakened the opposition’s base.
He noted that Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, declined to follow Obi into the African Democratic Congress because he believed the former Anambra governor lacked the capacity to mount a strong challenge in 2027.
The APC chieftain further alleged that Otti’s political relevance has waned, insisting that the governor lacks a solid party structure.
“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.
Leave a comment