Prince Paul Ikonne, a leading figure in the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia State, has declared that South-Eastern leaders are prepared to deliver overwhelming support to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 elections, suggesting that even 90 percent of the vote would fall short of expectations.
Ikonne, the immediate past Executive Secretary and CEO of the National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA), stated that the South-East is becoming a one-party region for the President.
During an appearance on TVC’s “Politics Tonight” program on Tuesday evening, Ikonne challenged the relevance of the Labour Party in the region. He claimed that Governor Alex Otti refused to join Peter Obi in the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC) because Obi’s political prospects were limited, and suggested that Otti now lacks a solid party foundation.
Responding to the recent endorsement of President Tinubu by South-Eastern leaders in Enugu State, Ikonne said: “I think we have gone beyond seventy percent. Some believe that with the calibre of people we now have in the APC in the South-East, 90 percent won’t be a good enough result, considering the wave of defections and support we’re receiving.
“Governor Hope Uzodinma’s work extends beyond South-Easterners living in the South-East. He has assembled a team, which I’m part of, to engage Igbos across Nigeria and encourage them to support the President’s 2027 re-election bid. The votes from the South-East won’t only come from residents of the region but from Igbos nationwide. In Abia State alone, the PDP has largely decamped to the APC. This means votes previously lost are now within our reach.”
When asked about Governor Otti’s influence in Abia State, Ikonne was dismissive: “Our governor is a minus one. He doesn’t even have a party. He’s officially Labour Party but conducted local government elections under ZLP. He has abandoned Peter Obi. He started with Obi but isn’t ending with him. Why? Because he sees that people have shifted—Abians and South-Easterners now support President Tinubu.
“No South-Easterner wants this region isolated from the center. We’re traders and business people. Aligning with the center benefits our businesses. We’re across Nigeria and can’t be seen opposing the federal government. That’s why leaders like Governor Hope are working to ensure we re-elect President Tinubu—not with 10 or 20 percent, but decisively. I’ve said before that the South-East will become the APC’s stronghold, and this endorsement shows we’re heading in that direction.”
Ikonne argued that Peter Obi no longer possesses the political strength to compete with President Tinubu in the South-East ahead of 2027. He noted that the endorsement by serving governors, former governors, ex-Senate Presidents, ministers and other prominent figures represents a strategic realignment of the South-East with national politics, naturally weakening Obi’s position.
“The calibre of leaders behind this endorsement demonstrates a clear consolidation of political structures in favor of President Tinubu and the APC,” Ikonne stated. “Politics is about numbers and structure. When leaders with followership align, votes follow. This endorsement signals that the South-East has properly realigned with the center to ensure our votes count.”
He further questioned Obi’s influence: “If the only governor elected on his platform has effectively abandoned him, what does that tell you?” referring to Governor Otti. Ikonne also pointed to alleged internal problems within Obi’s new political vehicle, the ADC, arguing that without strong party structures, Obi would struggle to mount a serious challenge in 2027.
He rejected suggestions that the APC lacks credibility in the South-East, maintaining that the ruling party has become the preferred destination for defectors from rival parties in the region. “The Igbos are not fools, and no Igbo man wants to make the same mistake twice,” he said.
The APC chieftain also dismissed recent criticism of the President by Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe, who represents Abia South Senatorial District, claiming that the Senator has lost relevance and cannot secure re-election in the upcoming polls.
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