Umahi urges South-East support for Tinubu ahead of 2027

Nigeria’s Works Minister David Umahi urged South-East voters to support President Bola Tinubu and pursue political alliances ahead of the 2027 elections, arguing that electoral bargaining could strengthen the region’s prospects for national leadership. Umahi made the appeal at an All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council town hall in Abakaliki. He said the South-East should not rely on protest voting or political sentiment to secure the presidency, but should build relationships with other regions and translate its voting strength into political influence. He urged the region to support Tinubu through the remainder of the president’s four-year term, presenting that backing as a strategic choice that could improve the South-East’s bargaining position when it seeks the presidency. Umahi said the region needed a stronger voice in national decisions, alongside more appointments, representation and federal attention. The minister also argued that support for Peter Obi should not be treated as the only acceptable political position in the South-East. He said the region had no single presidential candidate for 2027 and that states were entitled to make their own...