The Board Chairperson of Grassroots Advocacy for Tinubu (GAT) and wife of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mrs Hanmo Akume, on Friday, insisted that the Southeast remain critical to the reelection of President Ahmed Tinubu.

Speaking during the inauguration of the GAT Southeast zonal structure in Ebonyi State, Mrs. Akume described the Southeast inauguration as a strategic step towards strengthening grassroots mobilisation for the continuity of President Tinubu’s administration.

The inauguration attracted senior government officials, party leaders, women, and youth groups from across the Southeast geopolitical zone.

She commended the governors of Ebonyi, Imo and Enugu States for their support, noting that their participation underscored the zone’s commitment to national inclusion and development.

She said GAT’s presence in the Southeast was not only symbolic but aimed at building sustainable structures at the state, local government, and ward levels to deepen democratic participation ahead of 2027.

Representing the Governor of Ebonyi State, Francis Nwifuru, the State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Stanley Emegha, declared Ebonyi a stronghold of the APC, noting that the party controls all elective positions in the state.

He attributed the dominance to the performance of Governor Nwifuru and assured that the state would deliver overwhelming support for President Tinubu in 2027.

He added that opposition parties in the state had collapsed into the APC, stressing that the party’s mobilisation efforts would extend beyond the Southeast to support the President nationwide.

Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State, represented by the Imo State NYO Coordinator, Emmanuel Chukwudi, said the APC remained the dominant political force in Imo State and the Southeast. He pointed to the cordial relationship between the federal and state governments as evidence of effective governance, urging party members to remain confident ahead of the next general election.

According to him, the achievements of President Tinubu and the Imo State Government had strengthened public trust in the APC, leaving no room for opposition in the state.

Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State, represented by the Commissioner for Children, Gender Affairs, and Social Development, Ngozi Eni, reaffirmed Enugu State’s commitment to the Tinubu 2027 project.

Governor Mbam, while commending the grassroots focus on the advocacy and the role of women in political mobilisation added that there was “no vacancy” in Aso Rock and Government House of Enugu State in 2027, assuring the newly inaugurated GAT executives of full support from the Enugu State Government.

The National Coordinator of GAT, Prof. Ochugudu Ipuele, said the group was established to promote the achievements and vision of President Tinubu through effective grassroots engagement.

He highlighted key reforms of the administration, including the establishment of regional development commissions, the student loan scheme, and improved fiscal capacity of states, which he said had enhanced salary payments and service delivery nationwide.

He called on Nigerians to support the continuity of the Tinubu administration beyond 2027, stressing that sustained reforms were necessary to consolidate national unity and economic stability.

In his remarks, the Ebonyi State Coordinator of GAT, Barrister Patrick Anayo Mbam, expressed gratitude over the successful inauguration and pledged to mobilise across all communities in the state to secure victory for President Tinubu, Governor Nwifuru, and all APC candidates in the 2027 general elections.

Highlights of the event included the formal inauguration of Southeast zonal executives of GAT and the presentation of awards of excellence to Governors – Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru of Ebonyi State, Hope Uzodimma of Imo State, and Peter Mbah of Enugu State in recognition of their leadership and support for grassroots mobilisation.