South-East Group Asks Ohanaeze, Anyaoku to Persuade Obi to Step Down for Tinubu

The south-east chapter of the Renewed Hope for Greater Nigeria (RHGN) says it will engage leading Igbo statesmen to persuade Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), to withdraw from the 2027 contest and support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election.

Speaking on Saturday after a meeting on how to secure victory for Tinubu across the five south-east states in the coming poll, Franklin Ngoforo, leader of the group, said the top leadership of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo would be approached.

Ngoforo said the group would consult the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo under John Mbata, alongside elder statesmen including Emeka Anyaoku, former secretary-general of the Commonwealth, and Ebitu Ukiwe, former chief of general staff under military rule, to lead a delegation to Obi.

The group leader said the proposed intervention is not intended to diminish Obi’s political stature, but to persuade him to place the long-term strategic interests of Ndigbo above the immediate pursuit of a presidential ticket.

He explained that the objective is aimed at ensuring Obi realises that a broader political bargain could put the south-east in a stronger position to secure the presidency in the nearest future.

Ngoforo said the more consequential question should be what the south-east can gain by building a strategic political relationship with the south-west.

Ngoforo said that with Tinubu constitutionally limited to one more term if re-elected, the south-east should consider supporting the south-west now while building a political compact capable of yielding uncontested dividends when power next returns to the south.

He said Ndigbo should view it as an opportunity to accumulate political goodwill and establish reciprocal obligations with other regions, instead of an election to be won or lost.

Ngoforo urged Obi to see withdrawal from the 2027 race not necessarily as the end of his presidential journey, but deferring the ambition to the appropriate time.

“The issue is bigger than one election and bigger than one individual,” Ngoforo said.

He added that the political question before Ndigbo should be how to turn today’s alliances into tomorrow’s presidency.