By Joe Udo
ABAKALIKI (CONVERSEER) – The apex Igbo sociocultural group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has said that no candidate of Igbo extraction will contest the presidency in 2027 against incumbent President Bola Tinubu, adding that the Southeast will only have a realistic chance of producing Nigeria’s president in 2035.
In a statement issued in Abakaliki at the weekend and jointly signed by the Deputy President General of an Ohanaeze faction, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, and the National Spokesman, Chief Thompson Ohia, the group said the decision followed a crucial meeting with Southeast political leaders, Imeobi, and Nzukoumunna.
The leaders resolved that presenting an Igbo presidential candidate in 2027 would not align with the region’s political strategy, stressing that backing Tinubu’s re-election bid is a pathway to consolidating national stability and forging stronger alliances.
According to Ohanaeze, the Southeast will throw its weight behind Tinubu’s re-election, projecting that about 95 per cent of Igbo votes will go to the President in 2027. The group maintained that the “most practicable political vehicle” for achieving an Igbo presidency is the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), with 2035 being the target year if the zoning formula is altered.
The group listed prominent Igbo politicians with the capacity to lead the country, including former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi, former Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, former Senate President Pius Anyim, Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma, Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo, former Imo Governor Rochas Okorocha, and the current Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi.
However, Ohanaeze identified Umahi as the most outstanding candidate, citing his record as a former governor, Chairman of the Southeast Governors Forum, Senator, and now Minister. They described him as best positioned to spearhead the Southeast’s quest for the presidency in 2035.
The statement read in part: “Following extensive consultations and dialogues, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, in collaboration with Southeast political leaders, has reached a unanimous and resolute conclusion that Igbo people will not field presidential candidates in the 2027 elections against the incumbent President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Given these realities, we hereby affirm our unwavering support for President Tinubu’s re-election in 2027, projecting that approximately 95% of Igbo votes will rally behind this cause.”
The group noted that after Tinubu’s expected tenure in 2031, power would likely shift back to the North, making 2035 the “historic opportunity” for the Southeast to produce Nigeria’s first president of Igbo descent.
