“Forget About Endorsements, Igbo Will Not Support Your Second Term Bid”, Forum Tells Tinubu

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

The Njiko Igbo Forum, NIF, has insisted that no number of endorsements by sundry groups and political actors will sway the votes of Ndi Igbo in favour of  President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027.

This is just as the body, which is an affiliate of the apex Igbo socio-political group, Ohaneze Ndigbo, declared the recent endorsement of the second term ambition of the President by Governor Charles Soludo, as a none issue.

The Source reports that some political players and interest groups have, of recent, been expressing their readiness to back the President’s quest for a second tenure, even when he has not officially indicated interest.

Penultimate week ,during the President’s one day official visit to Anambra State, Governor Soludo enthusiastically announced that his party ,the All Progressive Grand Alliance APGA,  has adopted him as its candidate for the 2027 polls.

But in a statement on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, by its National President, Rev Dr Okechukwu Christopher Obioha, the Njiko Igbo Forum,noted that the President will not get more than five percent of the total votes cast in Igbo land .

According to the Forum, the abysmal performance of the President ,and his seemingly unparalleled nepotistic disposition have combined to alienate him from the people of the region.

Besides ,the body fears that the President will be worse in his observed shortcomings ,should he be allowed a second tenure .

“There is no amount of promises made by President Tinubu to any Governor ,or good people of the South East on Infrastructure development,that will sway the Igbo votes in his favour.

“We were promised some of these strategic infrastructural facilities like railways and train services by the Buhari/Tinubu Campaigns in 2022 ,but till date, railway lines are not functioning, but are even more dilapidated and moribund than ever.

“Unfortunately, train services are perfectly working in other parts of the country, except the South East (Igbo) geo-political zone.

“The nepotistic attitude and character of President Tinubu  in appointing only a section of the country (Yoruba) to very important and strategic positions ,and undermining the Federal Character principles, speaks volume about what will happen if he returns for the second tenure .

” We urge every Igbo all over the country not to listen to the political rhetorics ,and false representations in the name of campaigns to return Tinubu in 2027″, Rev Obioha stated

The Forum also called for urgent electoral reforms before the next general elections. It expressed strong reservations over the possibilities of the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC conducting free and fair polls under the present arrangements in place.

Specifically, it emphasized the need to make mandatory the electronic transmission of election results  particularly the presidential polls.

The Forum noted that the electoral laws and other guidelines presently in place will not allow popular will to prevail during any elections in the country.

The body further called for the zoning of the 2027 Presidential slot to the South East ,in line with the principles of equity and justice .

This is even as it affirmed its confidence in the abilities of Peter Obi, the Presidential flag bearer of the Labour Party LP ,to bail the country out of its present quagmire .

“In 2023, for equity, justice and fairness ,was for the South East ,but the inordinate,and over ambitious grabbed it, and unfortunately has been struggling to run with the grabbed mandate without success .

” Njiko Igbo Forum NIF ,strongly advocates that since 2027 is the last four years of the eight years for the South ,it should be for the South East ,not for any other zone ,and Tinubu in particular”,  the Forum noted .