Factional Ohanaeze urges Peter Obi to drop 2027 ambition, support Tinubu’s second term
A faction of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo has called on Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, to shelve any plans to contest the 2027 presidential election and instead support President Bola Tinubu’s second-term bid.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the faction’s Deputy President-General, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, argued that the South-East cannot make Obi president on its own and that contesting again would risk further marginalisation of the region.
Isiguzoro recalled that the Atiku–Obi ticket in 2019 allegedly cost the South-East a promised sixth state, which former President Muhammadu Buhari had reportedly pledged to Igbo leaders in return for political support.
The statement also credited President Tinubu’s administration with progress in addressing the South-East’s infrastructural needs, citing the appointment of David Umahi as Minister of Works and a reported tripling of federal allocations to the region.
“In light of these uncomfortable realities, Ohanaeze passionately urges Mr Obi to reconsider his aspirations for the presidency in 2027,” the statement read. “The current political dynamics, exacerbated by Atiku Abubakar’s relentless pursuit of an octogenarian presidency and his ambiguous support for Mr Obi, suggest that their candidacies may ultimately divide the votes of the opposition, thereby facilitating a triumphant re-election for President Tinubu.”
Describing such an outcome as potentially damaging to the South-East, the faction urged Obi to prioritise regional interests over personal ambition and to support Tinubu’s re-election efforts.
“We implore him to relinquish his presidential aspirations in favour of negotiating for the pressing needs of the South-East,” Isiguzoro said.
While acknowledging Obi’s constitutional right to contest, the group warned that his continued ambition could lead to betrayal and political setbacks for the region, drawing comparisons to the 2019 and 2023 elections where the South-East, according to them, suffered political consequences for backing losing presidential tickets.
“The stark reality is that Obi may face betrayal in his quest for the presidency, which could yield dire consequences for the Igbo people,” the statement concluded.
