2027: Igbo Group Dismisses Soludo, Wike’s Tinubu Endorsements, Backs Obi

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

The Igbo Agenda Dialogue (IAD) has dismissed the political endorsements of President Bola Tinubu by Anambra State governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, declaring its support for the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, ahead of the January 16, 2027 presidential election.

The group also condemned ethnic sentiments against Igbo presidential aspirants, insisting that Nigeria’s political history demonstrates that voters can transcend ethnic and regional considerations when choosing their leaders.

The IAD made its position known on Wednesday in Abuja during a press conference at which its National Chairman, Chief Chekwas Okorie, announced the organisation’s endorsement of Obi and his running mate, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, for the forthcoming election.

Responding to questions about Soludo’s comments and Wike’s declaration of support for Tinubu, Okorie said the organisation would not allow the political positions of individual officeholders to distract it from its campaign for Obi.

“We have decided that it would be a major distraction to focus on Governor Soludo personally or begin responding to his antics, given the challenges ahead of us,” he said.

Okorie, who described himself as the founder of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), recalled that Soludo and Obi had both emerged from the party, notwithstanding their different political affiliations and positions.

He said the IAD had previously reminded Soludo of their shared political history, adding that the organisation would rather concentrate on mobilising voters than engage in exchanges with political leaders.

“We believe his current position is driven by a personal grievance. Consequently, we do not intend to waste our time engaging him further because the task before us is far greater than any individual,” Okorie said.

The IAD chairman also challenged Soludo to demonstrate the electoral strength of his position in Anambra State during the presidential election.

“As for the presidential election in Anambra State, let us see whether he can deliver even 10 per cent of the state’s votes to President Tinubu,” he said.

Okorie recalled that Tinubu received a relatively small share of the votes cast in the South-east during the 2023 presidential election, arguing that the forthcoming election would test the extent to which political endorsements translated into electoral support.

On Wike’s declaration that Rivers State and the FCT would support Tinubu’s re-election, the IAD chairman said the organisation would not be distracted by such pronouncements.

“I would place Mr. Wike’s comments in the same category as Governor Soludo’s statements. We do not intend to allow them to distract us from the task ahead,” he said.

Okorie cited the 2023 presidential election in the FCT, where Obi won the largest share of the votes cast, as evidence that voters could exercise their independent judgment despite the influence of political officeholders.

He also questioned the extent of Wike’s influence on the outcome of the presidential election in Rivers State, arguing that Obi had secured substantial support nationally despite lacking the extensive political structures available to the established parties.

Obi secured approximately 6.1 million votes in the 2023 election, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s final figures.

The IAD chairman maintained that the 2027 election should be determined by voters’ assessment of the candidates rather than political endorsements or the influence of government officials.

On reports of ethnic sentiments, particularly in parts of Northern Nigeria, against voting for an Igbo presidential candidate, Okorie described such positions as inconsistent with the country’s history of political accommodation and cooperation across ethnic boundaries.

He urged Nigerians to reject divisive rhetoric and consider the contributions of different ethnic groups to the development of the Nigerian state.

“Some of those making these statements may not have sufficient knowledge of Nigeria’s political history. That is why we have taken the time to highlight some historical developments that many people may not know about,” he said.

Okorie recalled that the National Council of Nigerian Citizens (NCNC), led by Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, entered into a political arrangement with the Northern Peoples Congress (NPC) after independence, enabling the formation of a government headed by Alhaji Tafawa Balewa.

He also cited the electoral success of Alhaji Umaru Altine, a politician of Fulani origin who became the first mayor of Enugu, as an example of political accommodation by Igbo voters.

According to him, Altine’s subsequent re-election as an independent candidate demonstrated that electoral choices were not necessarily dictated by ethnic identity.

The IAD chairman said the examples underscored the need for political leaders and their supporters to focus on issues rather than ethnicity in the run-up to the 2027 election.

“Those who make derogatory statements about Igbo presidential aspirations may be people who were born much later and whose leaders have failed to educate them about the country’s political history,” he said.

The organisation’s endorsement of Obi followed what Okorie described as an extensive assessment of the leading presidential aspirants, taking into account their records in public office, commitment to Nigerians, capacity to govern and management of public resources.

He said consultations with the organisation’s networks and affiliated groups informed its decision to support the former Anambra State governor.

“We came to the unanimous resolution that it will be in the best interest of Nigeria to elect Mr. Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress as the President of Nigeria come January 16, 2027,” he said.

Okorie described Obi as a candidate capable of providing the leadership required to address the country’s challenges, adding that Kwankwaso’s experience as a former governor of Kano State would strengthen the ticket.

He also argued that the forthcoming election presented Nigerians with an opportunity to move beyond what he described as the dominance of elderly political leaders in the country’s presidential politics.

The IAD chairman called on eligible Igbo voters across the country to participate actively in the election, stressing that the organisation’s mobilisation efforts would extend beyond the South-east.

He said the group intended to use established community networks, digital communication and direct engagement to reach Igbo voters in Lagos and other states, as well as Nigerians living abroad.

He said, “Their role is straightforward: they will use their phones and other communication channels to reach their relatives, siblings, friends, associates and other members of their communities.

“Our message to Igbo voters is simple: they should not stay at home on election day. They should go out and vote.”

Okorie explained that the IAD was not a conventional membership-based organisation but a network connecting Igbo communities, associations, market groups, women’s organisations, youth bodies and civil society groups in Nigeria and the diaspora.

He said the organisation would also seek opportunities for Obi to engage directly with voters outside the South-east, adding that electoral mobilisation should go beyond large campaign rallies.

“Our experience has taught us that rallies alone do not guarantee Igbo votes. What matters is direct engagement with the people and the development of meaningful connections with them,” he said.

Addressing the relationship between the IAD and South-east governors, Okorie said he could not speak for the governors, noting that their political preferences did not necessarily determine the choices voters made during general elections.

He also clarified that the organisation’s position was consistent with the need to preserve the non-partisan character of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, which he described as a socio-cultural organisation.

Okorie said the perceived absence of a non-partisan platform dedicated to articulating Igbo political interests informed the establishment of the IAD.

In his main address, he traced the history of Igbo participation in Nigeria’s political development, recalling the role of Azikiwe and other Igbo leaders in coalition-building during the First and Second Republics.

He said the IAD’s endorsement of Obi was informed by its assessment of the national interest and should not be interpreted as a rejection of political cooperation with other ethnic groups.

“It is on record that in the First Republic, a politician of Fulani extraction called Alhaji Umaru Altine from Sifawa in Sokoto State won election on the platform of the NCNC to become the first Mayor of Enugu, the capital of Eastern Region,” he said.

The organisation called on political parties and their supporters to conduct their campaigns peacefully, avoid ethnic antagonism and allow Nigerians to choose their preferred candidates freely.

Okorie said the IAD would intensify its mobilisation efforts through its networks to secure support for Obi and Kwankwaso in the 2027 presidential election.