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The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has challenged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to explain what his administration has to offer the South-east ahead of the 2027 general elections, warning that the support of governors in the region cannot automatically guarantee Igbo votes.
The organisation said the persistent Monday sit-at-home disruption, despite efforts by South-east governors to end it, raised questions about the effectiveness of existing security and political strategies, cautioning the president against assuming that the governors could determine the region’s electoral choices.
In a statement issued Tuesday and signed by its deputy president-general, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, and acting secretary-general, Prof. Chibuikeya Achoakawa, Ohanaeze asked: “What does the APC-led federal government have on the table for Ndigbo?”
The group urged Tinubu to learn from the 2015 presidential election, when former President Goodluck Jonathan lost his re-election bid despite the backing of political allies, arguing that endorsements by political leaders do not necessarily translate into votes.
While acknowledging federal road construction and rehabilitation projects in the South-east under the supervision of the Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi, Ohanaeze said road infrastructure alone was insufficient to address the region’s developmental concerns.
It called on the federal government to clarify the status and implementation timetable of the proposed Aba–Maiduguri standard-gauge railway, which it said had received Federal Executive Council approval and financing arrangements. The organisation also renewed its demand for a deep seaport at Azumiri Blue River in Abia state, citing its potential to boost trade, industrialisation and employment.
On security and political inclusion, Ohanaeze called for a clear explanation of the federal government’s approach to the rehabilitation of former Boko Haram members and its position on Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s case, urging that justice, due process and equal treatment under the law guide the handling of security-related matters.
The organisation also renewed the South-east’s demand for an additional state, arguing that the region’s five-state structure, compared with six states in each of the other geopolitical zones, raised concerns about constitutional equity and representation. It further called for greater consideration of qualified South-east representatives in discussions on the leadership of the National Assembly, while acknowledging that the positions are determined through constitutional procedures and lawmakers’ votes.
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