Governors of Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo States have called on people of the South-East to resist what they described as political distractions and support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in the 2027 presidential election.
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The call was made on Saturday during the All Progressives Congress Women Mega Rally and Empowerment Programme for the South-East at Okpara Square, Enugu.
The governors involved were Peter Mbah of Enugu, Hope Uzodimma of Imo, Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi and Charles Soludo of Anambra, who was represented at the event by his deputy, Gilbert Ibezim.
Speaking at the rally, Mbah urged the South-East to support Tinubu for another term, arguing that continuity would enable the President to consolidate the economic reforms and development initiatives of his administration.
Mbah linked ongoing development projects, including the construction of primary healthcare centres, to increased resources arising from the Federal Government’s economic reforms.
“A good sailor does not abandon his ship mid-sea because of challenges. We must finish the journey we all started together,” Mbah said.
The Enugu governor described South-Easterners as strategic people whose businesses and relationships extend across Nigeria and urged them to become more actively involved in the country’s political process.
He also spoke on the empowerment programme targeting 5,000 women across the South-East, saying the initiative was intended to move beneficiaries beyond receiving financial assistance to becoming economically productive and capable of creating wealth.
According to him, beneficiaries received different forms of support, including cash, assistance with medical bills and tools to help them establish or expand income-generating activities.
“When you empower a woman, you strengthen the family. When you empower a woman, you build a strong community,” he said.
The programme formed part of a wider South-East women’s mobilisation and empowerment initiative associated with First Lady Oluremi Tinubu. Separate reports from the event confirmed that 5,000 women were targeted for empowerment across the region.
Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, in his remarks, described the gathering as historic and commended the First Lady for the empowerment programme.
Uzodimma said the South-East should support Tinubu’s re-election, arguing that the region was beginning to experience greater political inclusion and federal attention after decades of complaints about marginalisation.
He pointed to roads, electricity, healthcare and education reforms as areas in which he said the region and the country had recorded improvements.
“We are now seeing good roads, electricity, health reforms as well as educational reforms in the country. A winning team must not be changed,” he said.
Uzodimma also argued that the Federal Government’s economic reforms had increased financial resources available to state governments, enabling them to undertake more infrastructure projects and meet obligations to workers and pensioners.
He cited road projects connecting Okigwe, Owerri, Umuahia, Orlu and Port Harcourt and said the improved financial position of Imo State had enabled his administration to pay salaries and pensions, including 13th-month salaries.
Ebonyi State Governor Francis Nwifuru also threw his weight behind Tinubu and urged South-East women to support APC candidates in upcoming elections.
Nwifuru praised the APC-led administration’s empowerment and skills acquisition programmes and described the party as having a clear manifesto for national development.
He also dismissed suggestions that he was involved in any political coalition opposed to the APC, maintaining that his political loyalty remained with the ruling party.
For Anambra State, Deputy Governor Gilbert Ibezim, who represented Governor Charles Soludo, said the South-East had reasons to support Tinubu’s re-election and argued that continued cooperation with the Federal Government would bring greater benefits to the region.
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Benjamin Kalu also urged the South-East to strengthen its political alliances and embrace what he described as political inclusion.
Kalu said the Igbo had not produced Nigeria’s president in decades and argued that the region needed stronger political partnerships at the national level.
He also praised the Tinubu administration for establishing the South East Development Commission, describing the commission as an important mechanism for addressing longstanding developmental challenges in the region.
The rally brought together APC leaders, women groups and supporters from across the South-East as political mobilisation intensifies ahead of the 2027 general election.
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