• President’s endorsements driven by performance, not fear, says Kalu

The apex Igbo socio-cultural group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, yesterday, told President Bola Tinubu to be ready to lose South-East in the 2027 general election if he failed to dialogue with the nonviolent pro-Biafra agitators who have been seeking an audience with him.

In a statement in Abakaliki, the National Deputy President of a faction of Ohanaeze, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, revealed that failure to initiate dialogue will underscore a missed opportunity to heal the wounds that have festered since the cessation of violence in the Nigeria-Biafra War over half a century ago.

He added that this will affect Tinubu’s chance of winning South-East convincingly.He practically told Tinubu not to be carried away by the lip-service endorsement by South-East governors, informing the President not to place undue trust in ephemeral political endorsements or defections from state governors because such strategies are often reflections of self-preservation rather than genuine loyalty.

Isiguzoro regretted the failure and reluctance of the Federal Government to engage with these Biafra leaders, constituting one of its gravest failures and an opportunity to address the 55-year protracted Biafra conflict, a goal that has eluded generations.

He maintained that Tinubu would be celebrated as a national figure of great esteem if he opened dialogue with nonviolent agitators rather than facing scepticism and disappointment. He noted that the opportunity will heal the wounds that have festered since the cessation of violence in the Nigeria-Biafra War over half a century ago.

The statement read: “As President Bola Tinubu commemorates his second year in office, Ohanaeze issues a forthright appeal to the Federal Government to embark on a critical dialogue with the pro-Biafra leaders.

“This moment represents perhaps the singular opportunity in 55 years to definitively resolve the protracted Biafra conflict, a goal that has eluded generations.

MEANWHILE, the Abia-North Senator, Orji Uzor Kalu, has dismissed speculations that the growing wave of endorsements for Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027 is a response to fears about opposition coalitions.

The former Senate Chief Whip stressed that the endorsements are driven by Tinubu’s bold leadership and transformative policies.

Addressing members of the Senate Press Corps yesterday, Senator Kalu, who chairs the 10th Senate Committee on South-East Development Commission, asserted that the All Progressives Congress (APC) has no fear of any coalition, describing the party as “passionate about Nigeria” and focused on nation-building.