2027: Southeast Won’t Fall For Obi’s One-term Presidency Pitch — Ikonne

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Abia South senatorial aspirant, Prince Paul Ikonne, has dismissed former Anambra State governor Peter Obi’s one-term presidency proposition, insisting that the Southeast will not support any arrangement that limits the region to four years in power.

Ikonne, the immediate-past executive secretary of the National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA), said whenever the Southeast eventually produces Nigeria’s President, the region must enjoy a full eight-year tenure like other geopolitical zones that previously held power.

Speaking during a media interaction in Abuja yesterday, Ikonne said Igbos would not “Make the mistake” of accepting a four-year presidency arrangement.

According to him, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2023 electoral victory was only “a wind,” stressing that the 2027 election would produce a political “tsunami” in the President’s favour across the country.

The APC stalwart who recently launched a political mobilisation platform, ‘Asiwaju Tsunami 2027’, said it is aimed at rallying support for Tinubu’s re-election across the Southeast.

Ikonne said, “Why should the Southeast settle for four years when other regions enjoyed eight years? No Igbo man will support such an arrangement.”

He further claimed that governors and major political stakeholders across the Southeast, including Abia State Governor Alex Otti, are aligning with President Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

“When a governor elected under the Labour Party platform is supporting the President, it clearly shows there is no serious opposition against Tinubu in Abia State,” he said.

Ikonne also disclosed that Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma had established mobilisation structures to engage Igbo communities across the country in support of Tinubu’s second-term bid.

Speaking on Peter Obi’s political influence, Ikonne argued that the momentum that propelled the Labour Party in the 2023 elections had weakened significantly due to the party’s internal crisis.

He maintained that the Southeast electorate is now prioritising political stability, development and continuity ahead of 2027.

Also speaking on the Abia South Senatorial contest, Ikonne declared that Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe would not return to the Senate in 2027 after spending nearly two decades in office.

He accused the lawmaker of failing to deliver meaningful constituency projects despite representing the district for almost 20 years.

“There is nothing to show for his long stay in the Senate. The people of Abia South are ready for new leadership,” he added.

Ikonne further argued that Abaribe’s multiple defections between political parties had weakened his credibility and signalled the end of his political dominance in the district.