South-East governors urge Igbo to vote Tinubu in 2027 at Enugu APC rally

The governors of Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo have asked people of the South-East to vote for President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election and to ignore what they called political distractions.

They spoke on Saturday at the APC Women Mega Rally and Empowerment Programme for the South-East, held at Okpara Square in Enugu. The governors are Charles Soludo (Anambra), Francis Nwifuru (Ebonyi), Peter Mbah (Enugu) and Hope Uzodimma (Imo).

The rally was flagged off by the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, according to ThisDay. The event also featured an empowerment programme targeting 5,000 women across the region.

What the governors said

Mbah, the host governor, said the President's economic reforms had freed up money for states, and pointed to projects in Enugu such as Smart Green Schools and Type 2 Primary Healthcare Centres.

"A good sailor does not abandon his ship mid-sea because of challenges,"

he said, urging supporters to come out with their PVCs on January 16, 2027, and to back APC candidates in the January and February elections.

He described Igbo people as strategic and relationship builders who have done business across the country, and said they should take part fully in the political process.

On the empowerment programme, Mbah said it followed the empowerment of more than 2,000 women in Enugu within 48 hours. Vanguard reported that beneficiaries of the 5,000-women programme received cash support, help with hospital bills and tools to earn a living. ThisDay reported that the earlier support for 2,000 women in Enugu, by the First Lady, included payment of hospital bills. Mbah said the aim was to make women wealth creators rather than permanent recipients of handouts.

Uzodimma said Igbo people had faced marginalisation for over 60 years but were now seeing more political inclusion and development under Tinubu. He said federal reforms had increased money available to states, naming roads his administration can now build, including Okigwe to Owerri and Owerri to Port Harcourt. He added that Imo has been paying salaries and pensions regularly, including 13th-month pay.

Nwifuru said re-electing Tinubu was the main task for Ndigbo in 2027, calling the APC the only party with a clear manifesto. He denied being part of any political coalition and said his loyalty stays with the APC.

Soludo, represented by his deputy, Gilbert Ibezim, said the South-East should back the President's re-election in appreciation of his achievements and would gain more from working with the Federal Government.

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Benjamin Kalu said the Igbo have not produced a president in 60 years and should strengthen alliances across the country. He said Igbo leaders were not part of any one-term arrangement, and that a full two-term Igbo presidency could come in future. He praised the creation of the South East Development Commission (SEDC).

First Lady: 'The worst is over'

The First Lady conveyed the President's goodwill message and told the crowd not to be discouraged by the economic hardship that came with the reforms. She compared the pain to childbirth, saying it ends in delivery.

"The worst is over. We are stepping into prosperity,"

she said, according to ThisDay.

Also at the rally were the wife of the Vice President, Nana Shettima; the wife of the Senate President, Uloma Akpabio; Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment Doris Uzoka-Anite; Minister of Women Affairs Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim; and business mogul Arthur Eze.

The women's mobilisation drive is expected to move to the other five geopolitical zones, according to ThisDay.

What happens next: Voters go to the polls on January 16, 2027, with further elections in January and February, when they will decide whether the APC's push in the South-East translates into votes.