2027 Election: Why SAN Advises Igbo to Avoid Christmas Trips Home
- Ben Uzuegbu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria based in Onitsha, warned that Christmas travel could cost Igbo voters their chance to vote on January 16, 2027
- Uzuegbu raised concerns about INEC allegedly creating 40,000 new polling units without informing opposition parties, calling the move a threat to free and fair elections
- The lawyer dismissed the APC-APGA-Accord coalition's chances in Anambra, recalling that Tinubu won less than 1% of votes in the state during the 2023 presidential election
PAY ATTENTION: Find it fast with our new search feature at Legit.ng!
Onitsha, Anambra State - Ben Uzuegbu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), has called on Igbo voters, particularly those living outside the South East, to hold off on travelling home for the Christmas and New Year festivities if doing so would prevent them from returning in time to vote in the 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for Saturday, January 16, 2027.
Uzuegbu made the appeal in an exclusive interview with Legit.ng in Onitsha, where he stressed that the timing of the elections places an unusual burden on South Easterners who traditionally relocate home for the festive season and may struggle to get back before polling day.
Source: Facebook
Uzuegbu said:
"Igbo people can represent a significant portion of the voting population in any state they reside.
"The 2027 presidential election is crucial, and it is important to understand that elections directly impact what people can achieve in a democracy. Travelling home for Christmas and New Year celebrations could jeopardise their voting rights. It is advisable to defer such travels for the sake of participating in this critical election."
Furthermore, Uzuegbu drew a contrast between the annual nature of Christmas and the four-year cycle of presidential elections, warning that poor decisions in this election round could carry consequences that last well beyond 2027.
Uzuegbu's concerns over INEC, polling units
Beyond the voter turnout question, the Onitsha-based legal practitioner expressed concern about reports that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had created 40,000 new polling units without adequate communication with opposition parties. He said any election conducted under those conditions would be difficult to defend as legitimate.
"If opposition parties do not have clarity on the polling units, it undermines the democratic process.
"So, I will urge INEC to be a little bit transparent in ensuring that they give level playing ground and opportunity to all political parties in the race, so that at the end of the day, whoever the people say he will be there, will be acceptable to all. But if INEC deliberately says they'll only work with the ruling party, it means the opposition is already out of the race," he said.
Coalition against Obi in Anambra 'nearly impossible'
Uzuegbu also addressed the emerging coalition between the All Progressives Congress (APC), the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), and the Accord Party, which is reportedly aimed at defeating Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate Peter Obi in Anambra State. He described the effort as far-fetched, pointing to the 2023 election in which President Bola Tinubu received roughly 0.83% of votes cast in Anambra.
Source: Facebook
He suggested that rather than targeting a win over NDC's Obi, the coalition's realistic ambition should be improving that figure to a more credible percentage.
"No matter what the governor of Anambra State and his group do, power belongs to the people. Ultimately, it is the voters in Anambra that will decide whether to support Peter Obi or permit him to fail," he said.
Uzuegbu closed by calling on Igbo political figures to end internal divisions that he said have weakened the region's influence in national politics, arguing that collective strategy remains essential for the South East to secure meaningful representation.
Read more on the 2027 elections
- 2027 election: Peter Obi speaks on rumoured agreement with Goodluck Jonathan to sack President Tinubu
- "2027 Not turn of south east": Umahi declares as Peter Obi releases bold statement
- 2027 election: VDM warns Nigerians about Goodluck Jonathan and PDP, “he is sponsored by Tinubu”
NDC targets 98% Anambra votes
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the Anambra State executive council of the NDC set an ambitious target of 98% of votes cast in the state for its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, at the January 16, 2027 elections.
Party chairman Ikem Uzoezie announced the target in Awka during the inauguration of the Anambra chapter of the National Campaign Council for the Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso presidential ticket.
Source: Legit.ng
Ridwan Adeola Yusuf (Current Affairs Editor) Ridwan Adeola Yusuf is a content writer with more than nine years of experience, He is also a Current Affairs Editor at Legit.ng. He holds a Higher National Diploma in Mass Communication from the Polytechnic Ibadan, Oyo State (2014). Ridwan previously worked at Africa Check, contributing to fact-checking research works within the organisation. He is an active member of the Academic Excellence Initiative (AEI). In March 2024, Ridwan completed the full Google News Initiative Lab workshop and his effort was recognised with a Certificate of Completion. Email: ridwan.adeola@corp.legit.ng.
Mokwugo Solomon (Anambra State Correspondent) Anambra's regional correspondent Mokwugwo Solomon is an Editor, Investigative Journalist, and Media Consultant, with a wealth of experience spanning 17 years. He bagged his B/Ed degree in English Education from University of Abuja, now Yakubu Gowon University. After 17 years in various areas of journalism, Mokwugwo Solomon is now the Correspondent of Legit.ng in Anambra State, Nigeria, where he applies his expertise to provide incisive coverage of events. Contact him at: mokwugwosolomon@gmail.com OR: +2348063831036.
