The apex Igbo socio-cultural group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo has declared its support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.
The group said the administration had shown an unprecedented commitment to the South-East since the end of the Nigeria–Biafra war 55 years ago.
In a statement issued in Abakaliki, the Deputy National President of an Ohanaeze faction, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, said the Federal Government had earmarked N1.43tn for the construction and rehabilitation of federal roads in the region, describing the move as historic.
He added that Tinubu had also set up the South-East Development Commission to drive economic growth and approved a $3bn project to modernise the Eastern Economic Corridor by upgrading the Port Harcourt–Aba–Ebonyi–Enugu–Makurdi–Lafia–Bauchi–Maiduguri railway from narrow gauge to standard gauge.
According to him, the creation of the South-East Investment Company was another strategic step to attract and manage investments in the zone.
The statement noted that the Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi, had been tasked with relaying the collective decisions of Igbo stakeholders and Southeast governors on the President’s projects and policies.
“Ohanaeze Ndigbo affirms that President Tinubu is diligently addressing the critical challenges confronting the South-East and the broader Igbo nation.
“There is a collective consensus to support his administration until 2031, with an emphatic endorsement for his re-election in 2027. This support comes with important demands to address the pressing needs of our region,” the statement noted.
The group faulted what it described as “orchestrated media attacks” against Umahi by opposition elements in the region, warning that such actions would no longer be tolerated.
“For the first time in over five decades, the Federal Government is making substantial investments in our region. It is in the interest of Ndigbo to align with President Tinubu’s administration to harness these projects and transform the Southeast into the new economic hub of West Africa,” Isiguzoro stated.
He said a new partnership was emerging between the region and the administration, which should be sustained for mutual benefit.
“In light of these developments, we urge opposition parties and various Igbo groups to cease media hostilities against Senator Umahi. The emergence of fictitious groups allegedly sponsored to harass and intimidate him is misguided and counterproductive,” the statement continued.
Isiguzoro stressed that the Southeast would resist any attempt to derail ongoing progress, pledging continued backing for Umahi and the Tinubu administration “as we collectively strive for a brighter future for Ndigbo.”
