A faction of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo says Igbo leaders have reached a decision to endorse President Bola Tinubu to return to office in 2027.
In a communique issued after the 2025 Igbo Day celebrations, the group declared the president as its consensus candidate for the 2027 elections. It also claimed this marks the end of the long Igbo-Yoruba political rivalry.
The faction traced the bitterness back to 1952, when internal squabbles in the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC) blocked Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe from becoming Premier of the Western Region.
That moment, they argued, seeded mistrust between the Igbo and Yoruba, feeding seven decades of rivalry.
“We emphasize the necessity of forging a new alliance with the Yoruba nation,” the communique read. It cited examples like Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s choice of Igbo politician Philip Umeadi as his running mate in 1979 as proof that reconciliation is possible.
Tinubu as Bridge Builder
The faction praised President Tinubu’s inclusion of Nigeria in the BRICS bloc and his ₦5 trillion road initiative in the Southeast.
“It is a notable fact that President Tinubu stands as the first Nigerian leader to prioritize the Southeast and the Igbo Nation, despite the region’s rejection of his candidacy in the 2023 elections,” the document declared.
They hailed the efforts of Senator David Umahi, Minister of Works, saying his projects have “restored confidence and hope among our people.” There was even a call for Umahi to remain in office until 2031, should Tinubu win re-election.
Unity or Division?
The Ohaneze-Ndigbo faction urged Igbos to suspend support for the opposition and rally behind Tinubu’s government for a full eight years.
It also demanded strategic projects like the Port Harcourt-Maiduguri railway, revival of Enugu coal mines, dredging of the Azumiri Seaport, and restoration of Ivo Dam.
Another resolution focused on culture: governors in the Southeast were asked to make Igbo an official language in schools and create research centers for Igbo studies.
The group closed with a call for security, applauding the end of the Monday sit-at-home order and police efforts in calming the region.
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