Peter Obi No Longer Controls Southeast, APC Chieftain Boasts
- APC chieftain Paul Ikonne said the party expected near-total electoral support for President Tinubu from the South East in 2027
- He argued that Peter Obi’s political influence in the region had declined due to defections and shifting alliances
- Ikonne said coordinated mobilisation of Igbo communities nationwide was strengthening APC’s base ahead of the election
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in Abia State, Prince Paul Ikonne, has declared that the ruling party is targeting overwhelming electoral dominance in the Southeast ahead of the 2027 general election.
He insisted that even 90 per cent of the zone’s votes for President Bola Tinubu would fall short of expectations.
Source: Twitter
Ikonne said political shifts across the region had reduced the influence of former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and repositioned the Southeast as an emerging stronghold for the APC.
He argued that recent endorsements of Tinubu by political leaders from the zone reflected a deeper realignment that would shape voting patterns in 2027.
APC eyes near-total South East support
Speaking on Tuesday night, January 13, during an interview on TVC’s Politics Tonight, Ikonne dismissed the Labour Party as a declining platform and said Obi no longer commanded the level of control he once enjoyed in the region. He linked this to widespread defections and growing acceptance of the APC across South East states.
“I think we have gone beyond seventy per cent. Some schools of thought believe that with the number and calibre of people we have in APC today in the South-East, 90 per cent will not be a good result for us, considering the moves, the decamping and the harvest of people that we are getting,” he said.
Ikonne pointed to the recent endorsement of Tinubu by Southeast leaders in Enugu as evidence of a coordinated political shift. According to him, the development signalled that the zone had resolved to reconnect with the centre of power after years of political isolation.
Nationwide Igbo mobilisation strategy
He said the APC’s mobilisation strategy extended beyond the geographical South East. Ikonne disclosed that Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma, was leading an outreach drive to Igbo communities across Nigeria to build support for Tinubu’s re-election bid.
“What Governor Hope Uzodinma is doing is not only for Southeasterners residing in the South-East. He has set up a team, which I am part of, going round all the states in Nigeria where Igbos reside, to engage and sensitise them on the need to key into the 2027 re-election bid of Mr President,” he said.
Using Abia State as a case study, Ikonne claimed that the Peoples Democratic Party had lost much of its structure to the APC, resulting in what he described as a return of previously lost votes.
Criticism of Abia governor, Obi camp
Ikonne also took aim at Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, describing him as politically isolated. He said Otti’s decision to conduct local government elections under a different platform showed a lack of firm party footing.
Source: Facebook
“Our governor is minus one. Governor Alex Otti is minus one in the sense that he doesn’t even have a party. As of today, he is a member of the Labour Party, but he conducted local government elections with ZLP. He has abandoned Peter Obi,” he said.
He argued that Otti’s refusal to follow Obi into the African Democratic Congress reflected declining confidence in the former Anambra governor’s political future.
Ikonne added that the Southeast had learnt hard lessons and now recognised the value of aligning with the federal government to protect economic and political interests.
He concluded that growing support for Tinubu among serving and former governors, senior lawmakers and party leaders had weakened Obi’s prospects, while internal challenges within the ADC further reduced the likelihood of a strong opposition challenge in 2027.
Otti slammed for sealing Aba traders’ shops
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that growing concerns have trailed activities in major markets across Aba as APC chieftain Prince Paul Ikonne accused operatives of the Abia state government of unleashing harsh and unregulated actions on traders.
He said the situation has worsened under officials appointed by Governor Alex Otti, who now operate as market leaders.
Source: Legit.ng
