2027: Tinubu unstoppable, Igbo presidency not realistic now, says APC chieftain, Ikedife

By David Onwuchekwa

The All Progressives Congress (APC) South-East Organising Secretary and member of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Re-election Campaign Council, Mr Dozie Ikedife Jnr, has declared that Tinubu is poised for an easy victory in the 2027 presidential election, insisting that an Igbo presidency is not politically achievable at the moment.

Ikedife, who spoke in an interview at his Nnewi residence at the weekend, said Tinubu had performed sufficiently well to deserve a second term, arguing that the South-East should prioritise political realities over emotional considerations.

Quoting Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, he urged Ndigbo to distinguish between what is desirable and what is achievable.

“We desire an Igbo man to be president, but what is realisable today is for Tinubu to go and do his second tenure in office to lead Nigeria from his reforms to the era of prosperity,” he said.

According to him, it would be foolhardy to assume that any candidate could defeat Tinubu in 2027, considering what he described as the President’s performance in office.

“An Igbo man has a serious chance of becoming president, but I don’t see it being achievable in 2027. I respect the fact that an Igbo man is in the race, but we have to find ways to engineer our political movement so that we are not seen as being antagonistic or merely playing to the gallery,” he added.

Ikedife maintained that supporting Tinubu’s re-election would position the South-East to participate more effectively in national political negotiations and strengthen its prospects of producing a Nigerian president in the future.

He argued that, based on Nigeria’s zoning arrangement, the presidency would return to the North after Tinubu’s second tenure, giving the South-East an opportunity to negotiate for its turn thereafter.

“Twelve years is not too long a time. With the support the South-East has given Bola Tinubu, we should be able to come to the table and negotiate support for an Igbo man to become president,” he said.

The APC chieftain regretted what he described as the South-East’s failure to engage in strategic political negotiations in the past, particularly during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

He recalled that some Igbo political leaders had identified with Jonathan partly because of his name, Ebele, and his South-East connections, without securing a structured political understanding that would advance the region’s presidential ambition.

According to him, the South-East must learn from the experience and develop a more deliberate political strategy to secure support from other geopolitical zones.

On the economic situation, Ikedife dismissed criticisms of Tinubu’s administration over rising living costs, arguing that economic difficulties were part of a wider global challenge and not peculiar to Nigeria.

He defended the removal of fuel subsidy, saying the policy had increased allocations to state governments and enabled many of them to embark on infrastructure projects, clear salary and pension arrears and improve workers’ welfare.

He said several states that previously struggled to pay salaries were now meeting their obligations, while the increased federal allocations had helped governments provide transportation support and other interventions.

Ikedife also cited the new national minimum wage of N70,000, noting that some states, including Imo and Ebonyi, had gone beyond the national benchmark.

He maintained that Tinubu’s economic reforms were beginning to produce results and urged Nigerians to exercise patience as the country moved towards what he described as an era of prosperity.

The APC leader further predicted that Tinubu’s 2027 victory would be easier than his 2023 electoral outing, recalling the cash scarcity that preceded the 2023 general election, when many Nigerians reportedly struggled to access money despite having funds in their bank accounts.

He argued that the current political environment was more favourable to the President, particularly with the reported support of a large number of state governors, including some from opposition parties.

“There must be something our political leaders know about President Tinubu that many people don’t know. Even opposition state governors are coordinating his re-election bid,” he said.

Ikedife listed the administration’s interventions in education, road infrastructure and electricity sector reforms among the reasons he believes Tinubu deserves another term.

He particularly highlighted the constitutional changes that moved electricity generation and distribution from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent Legislative List, allowing states to establish and regulate their own electricity markets.

On Governor Charles Soludo’s decision to coordinate Tinubu’s re-election campaign in Anambra State, Ikedife described it as an expression of political sagacity.

He said Soludo had correctly urged Anambra people to abandon what he called emotional politics and embrace politics driven by their interests.

According to him, Tinubu secured only about 5,000 votes in Anambra State during the 2023 presidential election but still won the presidency, making it important for the state to reconsider its political strategy ahead of 2027.

“With or without our 5,000 votes, he is going to be elected President of Nigeria again. What Soludo is saying is that for us to be part and parcel of national politics, to sit at the table and make demands for the dividends of democracy accruing to us as citizens of Anambra State and Nigeria, we must remove emotional politics,” he said.

Ikedife urged Anambra residents to support Soludo’s position, arguing that aligning with the ruling political establishment would give the South-East a stronger voice in national affairs.

He noted the governor’s declaration that progressives were working together in Anambra reflected the political direction the state should pursue ahead of the 2027 general election.