Why South-East Won’t Support Peter Obi’s One-Term Presidency Proposal — Ikonne - Newstrends
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Why South-East Won’t Support Peter Obi’s One-Term Presidency Proposal — Ikonne

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Why South-East Won’t Support Peter Obi’s One-Term Presidency Proposal — Ikonne

Why South-East Won’t Support Peter Obi’s One-Term Presidency Proposal — Ikonne

A former Executive Secretary of the National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prince Paul Ikonne, has strongly criticised the proposal by former Anambra State governor, Peter Obi, to serve only one term if elected President in 2027.

Ikonne, who is also an aspirant for the Abia South Senatorial seat, said the South-East would reject any arrangement that limits an Igbo presidency to four years when other regions had enjoyed two terms of eight years in office.

Speaking during a media briefing in Abuja on Thursday, the APC stalwart argued that the proposal undermines the long-standing agitation for an equitable power-sharing arrangement in Nigeria.

According to him, no serious political stakeholder from the region would support a four-year presidency for the South-East.

“Why would he come and say he wants to be President for four years? He is trying to deprive Southeasterners when other regions are doing eight years. No South-East man will vote for such a thing,” Ikonne declared.

“We are not looking for a President that will just stay there for four years. We want to produce, when the time comes, an Igbo President that will be there for eight years.”

The comments followed recent political discussions triggered by Obi’s reported promise to serve only one term if elected in 2027 — a move believed by analysts to be aimed at attracting broader political support across the country.

Ikonne, however, described the idea as politically unacceptable to many people in the South-East, insisting that the region deserved equal treatment in Nigeria’s presidential power rotation formula.

The APC chieftain recently unveiled a political mobilisation platform known as Asiwaju Tsunami 2027 in Abia State to galvanise support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead of the next general election.

Describing Tinubu’s performance in the South-East during the 2023 presidential election as only “a wind,” Ikonne predicted that the 2027 poll would witness “a tsunami” of support for the President across the region.

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“So 2023 was wind, but in 2027 Asiwaju is coming with tsunami,” he said.

He further claimed that governors and major political stakeholders in the South-East were already aligning with Tinubu ahead of the 2027 elections.

According to him, even governors elected on opposition platforms were allegedly maintaining cordial relationships with the presidency.

“One clear indication is that when the governor who came on board through Labour Party is now supporting the President, it means the President has no opposition in Abia State,” Ikonne stated, in an apparent reference to Abia State Governor Alex Otti.

Ikonne also praised Tinubu’s administration for allowing more resources to reach state governments and local councils, arguing that the President’s policies were beginning to attract support from the South-East.

“The President has pushed resources down to governors to implement developmental projects that impact people directly. Nigerians now understand that he means well,” he said.

The APC chieftain disclosed that Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma had constituted a mobilisation team, which he said he belongs to, to rally support for Tinubu among Igbo communities nationwide.

He added that support for the President would come not only from the South-East but also from Igbo traders and residents across Nigeria.

Speaking further, Ikonne claimed that the Labour Party had weakened significantly in Abia State due to internal crises and defections.

According to him, the political momentum enjoyed by Obi during the 2023 general election had reduced considerably ahead of 2027.

“Labour Party is not really on ground in Abia State. The party has been battling one crisis after another,” he said.

Ikonne also criticised Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, accusing the lawmaker of spending nearly 20 years in the Senate without meaningful constituency projects.

“Abia South is the economic hub of Abia State and even the South-East because Aba is the commercial nerve centre of the region. Yet there is nothing to show for nearly two decades in the Senate,” he stated.

He insisted that the people of Abia South were ready for new leadership and political direction ahead of the next election cycle.

Political observers say Obi’s reported one-term proposal has continued to generate mixed reactions across Nigeria, particularly in the South-East where many believe the region deserves a full two-term presidency if given the opportunity.

While supporters of the proposal see it as a strategic compromise capable of easing regional political tensions, critics within the APC insist it shortchanges the South-East and weakens the region’s bargaining power ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

The debate is expected to remain a major issue in Nigeria’s political landscape as preparations for the 2027 elections intensify.

Why South-East Won’t Support Peter Obi’s One-Term Presidency Proposal — Ikonne

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APC Sweeps Enugu LG Election, Wins All 17 Chairmanship, 260 Councillorship Seats

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APC Sweeps Enugu LG Election, Wins All 17 Chairmanship, 260 Councillorship Seats

APC Sweeps Enugu LG Election, Wins All 17 Chairmanship, 260 Councillorship Seats

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has won all 17 local government area chairmanship seats and all 260 councillorship positions in the Enugu State local government election held on Saturday, September 26, 2026.

The results were declared on Sunday by the Chairman of the Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission (ENSIEC), Professor Christian Ngwu, after the completion of the collation exercise.

Ngwu announced that APC candidates secured the highest number of valid votes in all 17 local government areas and were consequently returned as elected chairmen. The commission also declared APC candidates winners of the 260 councillorship positions across the state’s 260 wards.

The outcome gives the APC control of the elected leadership of all 17 local government councils and the 260 political wards in Enugu State.

The election was contested by seven political parties, with voters choosing council chairmen and councillors across the state.

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Declaring the results, Ngwu said the successful candidates had satisfied the requirements of the law and recorded the highest number of valid votes in their respective constituencies.

He congratulated the winners and urged them to regard their election as a call to duty and an opportunity to serve the people. He also commended security agencies and other stakeholders who participated in the electoral process.

The declaration followed an election that recorded low voter turnout in several parts of the state. Reports from Enugu metropolis indicated that only a small number of voters were present at some polling units, while electoral materials arrived late at some locations.

The election also took place under significant movement restrictions. The state government and security agencies had restricted vehicular and human movement across Enugu on election day as part of measures to maintain security and ensure a peaceful exercise. Essential workers, accredited election officials and other authorised persons were exempted from the restriction.

Security agencies had also deployed personnel across the state’s 17 local government areas and 260 wards ahead of the election, while political parties, candidates and their supporters were urged to avoid electoral malpractice and actions capable of disrupting the exercise.

The 2026 result marks a change from the previous Enugu local government election held on September 21, 2024, when the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won all 17 chairmanship seats and all 260 councillorship positions.

With ENSIEC’s declaration and the presentation of certificates of return, the commission has concluded the announcement of the Enugu LG election results, confirming the APC’s sweep of the state’s 17 councils and 260 wards.

APC Sweeps Enugu LG Election, Wins All 17 Chairmanship, 260 Councillorship Seats

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2027: Lagos APC Steps Up Grassroots Mobilisation Ahead of Atiku, Obi Challenge

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2027: Lagos APC Steps Up Grassroots Mobilisation Ahead of Atiku, Obi Challenge

2027: Lagos APC Steps Up Grassroots Mobilisation Ahead of Atiku, Obi Challenge

The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has intensified preparations for the 2027 general elections, with the party strengthening its grassroots mobilisation across senatorial districts, local government areas, wards and polling units.

The move comes as political parties continue to build their campaign structures ahead of the elections, with Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi among the presidential candidates listed for the 2027 contest.

For the 2027 presidential election, Atiku Abubakar is the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), while Peter Obi is the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC). Obi’s running mate is Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, who is also contesting on the NDC ticket.

The Lagos APC leadership says its immediate priority is to strengthen the party’s organisation at the grassroots and maintain regular engagement with voters across the state.

APC Lagos Chairman Cornelius Ojelabi said the party would decentralise its mobilisation efforts, placing particular emphasis on activities at the polling-unit level.

He described the strategy as “Operation Man Your Polling Booth”, under which party members would take responsibility for mobilisation and coordination around their respective polling areas.

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Ojelabi also said the party was targeting five million votes in Lagos from a projected electorate of about seven million. The five-million figure is an APC campaign target and should not be interpreted as an independently verified forecast of the party’s eventual votes.

The mobilisation drive follows the inauguration of a 1,235-member Lagos APC campaign council for the 2027 elections.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu was named chairman of the campaign council, while Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat serves as deputy chairman and former Senator Musiliu Obanikoro as Director-General.

The wider campaign arrangement also includes prominent Lagos APC figures, including former governors Babatunde Fashola and Akinwunmi Ambode, who have been assigned roles within the party’s advisory and mobilisation structures.

The broader APC campaign structure also places emphasis on grassroots engagement and mobilisation, youth mobilisation, women mobilisation, community support and other areas.

Hamzat has urged party campaigners to rely on facts, data and verifiable records when engaging voters, saying campaign messages should focus on policies, projects and measurable achievements.

The Lagos APC has also directed its 2027 candidates to suspend overseas travel until after the election, with the party saying candidates should remain available for campaign and grassroots mobilisation activities.

Ojelabi has similarly called on party members to conduct their campaigns peacefully and avoid violence, hatred and other conduct that could undermine the electoral process.

The renewed Lagos APC grassroots mobilisation comes against the background of the 2023 presidential election in the state, when Peter Obi, then the Labour Party candidate, secured 582,454 votes, while Bola Tinubu of the APC polled 572,606 votes.

The political landscape has since changed significantly.

For the 2027 presidential election, Atiku is contesting under the ADC, while Obi is contesting under the NDC, with Kwankwaso as his running mate.

The new party alignments have also produced different campaign structures from those that existed during the 2023 election.

Within the NDC, the party has given Obi and Kwankwaso a role in nominating key officials of the presidential campaign council, while the separate Obi-Kwankwaso Movement has also developed its own support structure.

The relationship between the NDC’s formal structures and the Obi-Kwankwaso support movement has generated differing positions among party officials in some states, although other state chapters have said they are working harmoniously with the support groups.

Against this backdrop, the Lagos APC is focusing on consolidating its own grassroots political structure, with particular attention to senatorial districts, local government areas, wards and polling units.

Lagos remains a significant focus of national politics because of its large electorate and its importance in presidential and state-level elections.

As preparations continue, the APC and opposition parties are building their campaign machinery, mobilising supporters and seeking to strengthen their presence among voters across the state ahead of the 2027 elections.

2027: Lagos APC Steps Up Grassroots Mobilisation Ahead of Atiku, Obi Challenge

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2027: NDC State Chairmen Reject Obi-Kwankwaso Movement’s Parallel Structures

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2027: NDC State Chairmen Reject Obi-Kwankwaso Movement’s Parallel Structures
Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and Peter Obi

2027: NDC State Chairmen Reject Obi-Kwankwaso Movement’s Parallel Structures

State chairmen of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) have rejected the creation of parallel political structures by the Obi-Kwankwaso Movement (OK Movement) ahead of the 2027 general elections, insisting that support groups should not take over functions reserved for the political party.

The position comes amid an ongoing disagreement between the NDC and the OK Movement over the organisation of the campaign for the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and his running mate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.

The dispute began after the OK Movement unveiled a 59-member Presidential Campaign Council on September 17. The structure included zonal and state coordinators as well as directors responsible for mobilisation, women’s affairs, strategy, security, legal affairs and other areas.

The movement named John Ughulu as Director-General of the campaign council and Saadatu Sani as secretary.

The NDC subsequently dissociated itself from the council, saying it was not authorised or constituted by the party. National Chairman Moses Cleopas said the public should disregard the structure and stressed that only the party’s appropriate organs could constitute or announce an official NDC campaign council.

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The disagreement deepened after the OK Movement insisted that it was an independent political organisation with its own leadership, structures and internal processes.

The movement also said it would not collapse or surrender its national, state, local government and ward structures to the NDC.

However, NDC leaders have maintained that support groups can mobilise for the party’s candidates but should not establish structures that perform the functions of the political party or its official campaign organisation.

NDC National Leader Seriake Dickson has said support groups should complement the party rather than compete with it or operate as parallel structures.

The position has also received a response from Obi himself.

Obi, speaking on Arise TV’s Prime Time, said the NDC was the political party to which he and his supporters belonged, while the OK Movement, Obidient groups and Kwankwasiyya should operate as support groups.

He also said the creation of a presidential campaign council by a support group was not appropriate and disclosed that he had not been consulted before the OK Movement announced its 59-member council.

Despite the disagreement, the NDC has taken steps towards establishing its own official campaign machinery.

The party previously gave Obi and Kwankwaso authority to nominate key officials of the NDC Presidential Campaign Council, including the Director-General, Deputy Director-General for the North, campaign spokesman, deputy spokesman, Head of New Media and finance officials, in consultation with the party leadership.

The latest disagreement therefore centres on the distinction between the official NDC campaign structure and independent support organisations backing the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket.

While NDC state chairmen have insisted on the authority of the party’s structures, the OK Movement continues to maintain that it has the right to retain its own organisational framework.

The parties and support groups have not indicated that the dispute has affected the candidacy of Obi and Kwankwaso, but the disagreement has become a prominent issue in the organisation of the 2027 opposition campaign.

2027: NDC State Chairmen Reject Obi-Kwankwaso Movement’s Parallel Structures

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