2027: Tinubu must defeat Obi in Ebonyi, NDI-ABAT tells Umahi

The Ndigbo for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu 2027 Forum (NDI-ABAT) on Friday told the Minister of Works, Sen. David Umahi, that winning Ebonyi State for President Ahmed Tinubu in next year general election will stamp and complement him as the Lion of Southeast.

Umahi had, during a Town Hall meeting organized by the Senior Special Adviser to Mr. President on Community Engagement, Southeast Barr. Chioma Nweze called himself as Lion of Southeast.

NDI-ABAT in a statement in Abakaliki signed by national coordinator of the Group Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro and Secretary General Dr. Ugwuoke Ugwuoke sounded it very clear that Sen Umahi must justified the name by winning Ebonyi State for Tinubu noting that anything short of that will be a diminishing.

Though the Group acknowledged the efforts of the Minister in fixing roads across the country declared that Ebonyi State currently represents the strongest electoral opportunity for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Southeast ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

“We are saying this without hesitation because the political realities across the five Southeast states are not the same. Our assessment indicates that Ebonyi has a stronger foundation for delivering an overwhelming victory for President Tinubu, while the APC faces serious electoral challenges in Imo, Abia, Anambra and Enugu,” the Group said.

They commended the Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi, whom we proudly recognise as the LION OF THE SOUTHEAST, for his infrastructure-driven political influence in Ebonyi adding that the ongoing federal road projects, reportedly valued at approximately ₦248 billion, have significantly strengthened the visibility of the Tinubu administration in the state.

They added that these projects, combined with Umahi’s political influence and Governor Francis Nwifuru’s grassroots leadership, provide the APC with a strong electoral advantage.

NDI-ABAT believed that, with effective mobilisation and sustained political engagement, Ebonyi could deliver up to 91 per cent of its presidential votes to President Tinubu in 2027.

Them said “As the political figure whose influence and infrastructure record have strengthened the APC’s position in Ebonyi, you must consolidate this advantage and work with Governor Nwifuru to deliver the state for President Tinubu”.

“We must equally tell President Tinubu and the APC leadership the bitter truth about the remaining four Southeast states. The political atmosphere in Imo, Abia, Anambra and Enugu does not presently suggest an easy electoral victory for the party”.

“Without urgent political adjustments, genuine grassroots engagement and stronger public confidence, the APC could struggle to secure even 25 per cent of the votes in these states”.

“It is dangerous for the APC to mistake political meetings, public endorsements and occasional expressions of loyalty for genuine electoral support. Elections are won by voters, not by political assurances. The party must recognise this reality before it is too late”.

“NDI-ABAT is particularly concerned that the political leadership of the Southeast must stop making promises that are not supported by the realities on the ground and APC needs measurable political support, not exaggerated claims of regional acceptance”.

“Our position is unequivocal: Ebonyi is presently the APC’s strongest electoral asset in the Southeast. Umahi and Nwifuru must protect and consolidate that advantage, while the APC must urgently rethink its approach to the other four states”.

“We are not making this assessment to discourage the APC. We are making it because political honesty is more valuable than false reassurance. President Tinubu deserves to know where his party stands in the Southeast and where urgent political intervention is required”.

“The 2027 election will not be won by wishful thinking. Umahi must lead the Ebonyi charge, Nwifuru must strengthen the grassroots structure, and the APC must confront the political realities in the other Southeast states. The time for political self-deception is over”.