2027: APC chieftain Ikonne predicts total South-East victory for Tinubu

…says Peter Obi’s political strength has been whittled down in the region

A leading figure of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia State, Prince Paul Ikonne, has projected a sweeping victory for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu across all five states of the South-east in the 2027 general election.

Ikonne, the immediate past Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA), said political leaders in the region had resolved to deliver the zone to the President.

Speaking on TVC’s Politics Tonight on Tuesday, the APC chieftain expressed confidence that the President would secure full support from the region. He argued that nothing short of 100 percent victory would be satisfactory, stating that “90 percent of votes won’t be good enough.”

Responding to the recent endorsement of President Tinubu by South-east leaders in Enugu, Ikonne said the region had moved beyond earlier projections.

“We have gone beyond seventy percent. Some believe that with the calibre of people now in the APC in the South-east, 90 percent would not reflect the level of mobilisation, the ongoing decamping, and the number of influential figures joining the party,” he said.

“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 the Southeasterners residing in the Southeast. No, he has set up a team which I am part of, going around all the states in Nigeria where the Igbos reside, for us to begin to engage them, sensitize them, 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 Southeast will not only be judged by the ones from those who are residing within the Southeast, but from the ones who are residing outside the Southeast. Outside that, using Abia as a case study, PDP has almost emptied into APC in Abia state. What does that tell you? It tells you that the votes that were lost without having PDP, now that those in PDP are part of APC in other states, we will have them.”

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’s a member of the Labor Party, but he conducted local government elections with 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 you have seen that people have shifted, Abians have shifted, and southeasterners have shifted to support President Tinubu.

“Now, no Southeastern will want to stay out or will want this region to stay out of the center. 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 present throughout Nigeria, and we cannot be perceived as being against the government at the centre. This is why Governor Hope and other leaders are working to ensure that the people understand the need to re-elect President Tinubu, not just with 10 or 20 percent, but with a significant majority.

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

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The APC chieftain also dismissed the perceived strength of the 2023 LP presidential candidate in the region. He said, “Peter Obi no longer commands the political strength to match President Tinubu in the Southeast ahead of the 2027 general election.”

Downplaying Obi’s political strength further, Ikonne argued, “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.

He maintained that Tinubu’s endorsement by serving and former governors, ex–Senate, 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.Presidents

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

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

“This endorsement is a clear statement that the Southeast has properly realigned with the center to ensure that its votes count,” he said.

Ikonne dismissed claims that the APC is struggling for credibility in the Southeast, 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 one mistake two times. No, not at all,” he said.