News
Uzodimma rallies South East APC Stakeholders behind Tinubu’s 2027 reelection
Governor of Imo State and Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the South East, Senator Hope Uzodimma, has called on political leaders and stakeholders in the region to unite behind President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general election, describing the task as a collective responsibility crucial to the South East’s place in Nigeria’s political future.
Governor Uzodimma made the call on Saturday, January 10, 2026, while addressing APC stakeholders from the five South East States at a meeting held at the Hotel Presidential, Enugu.
Speaking in his capacity as the APC’s South East leader and “Renewed Hope Ambassador,” the Imo State Governor said President Tinubu had entrusted the political fate of his re-election in the region to APC leaders, stressing that the responsibility to deliver electoral success in 2027 must be shared by all Party stakeholders.
“In practical political terms, this enormous responsibility is not mine alone, it is yours. A responsibility for one of us is a responsibility for all of us,” Uzodimma said.
He noted that the meeting provided an opportunity for reflection on the political direction of the South East, urging leaders to “honestly assess past electoral outcomes and reposition the zone within the national political equation.”
Uzodimma expressed concern over the region’s voting pattern in the 2023 presidential election, describing it as politically disadvantageous.
According to him, while the APC presidential candidate secured significant votes in other geopolitical zones, the South East contributed only a marginal percentage, making the region politically predictable and easy to ignore at the national level.
“When you become predictable in the game of power, it is easy to ignore you,” he warned.
The Governor, however, pointed to what he described as a changing political tide in the South East, citing the growing strength of the APC in the region since 2023.
He highlighted gains recorded by the Party, including an increase in the number of APC governors, senators, members of the House of Representatives, State legislators, and local government officials across the zone.
“In the House of Representatives, we moved from eight members to 23. That is nearly a 200 per cent increase. These figures show that the APC is gaining the confidence of political leaders and grassroots supporters in the South East,” Uzodimma said.
He added that no serious politician aligns with a Party that lacks prospects, noting that the steady influx of leaders into the APC reflects growing belief in the it’s future at both regional and national levels.
Uzodimma stressed that the challenge ahead was to translate elite-level support into mass votes at the ballot box in 2027, insisting that the South East must deliver votes commensurate with its growing political strength.
Declaring his support for Tinubu’s second-term bid, the Governor said the President deserved the opportunity to complete ongoing economic and security reforms, despite the initial hardships associated with them.
He listed improvements in security, currency stability, student loan access, and infrastructure development as evidence that the Tinubu administration’s policies were yielding results.
“The reforms came with discomfort, but today our currency is stabilising, security is improving, and our children can go to school without barriers,” he said.
Uzodimma argued that supporting Tinubu’s re-election would position the South East strategically for future negotiations, including the long-term aspiration of producing a President from the region.
“Politics is about give and take. If we support the President to complete his tenure, we are building a bridge our children will cross when it is our turn,” he said.
He called on stakeholders to adopt a formal resolution committing the South East APC to mobilising votes for President Tinubu across all States, local governments, and wards in the region.
The meeting concluded with Uzodimma inviting a former Senate President, Chief Anyim Pius Anyim to move a motion endorsing President Tinubu for a second term on behalf of South East leaders, supported by another former President of the Senate, Chief Ken Nnamani.
The Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu called on South East leaders to rethink sentimental politics and focus on strategic, numbers-based alliances that can restore the region’s influence at the centre.
He argued that supporting existing southern political partnerships, particularly the current administration, is the most practical path to relevance, warning that isolation and sectional thinking would weaken the South East’s bargaining power.
He commended President Tinubu’s leadership and reforms, noting that increased national revenue and improved federal allocations have benefited South East States.
Kalu urged APC stakeholders to intensify Party membership drives and voter registration ahead of 2027, stressing that political strength depends on numbers, inclusion of new members, and effective mobilisation at the grassroots.
Earlier, the National Vice Chairman of APC South East, Dr. Ijeomah Arodiogbu highlighted the positive impact of President Tinubu’s economic reforms, noting that Nigeria’s stock market has grown significantly and that the country is on course toward becoming a one-trillion-dollar economy. He said petroleum products prices are beginning to decline and described Nigeria as a leading exporter of aviation fuel. He cited these developments as evidence of a strengthening economy.
While acknowledging current challenges, he urged Nigerians, particularly supporters of the APC, to remain patient and confident that the government’s policies are steering the country in the right direction.
Arodiogbu later read the Communique that articulated the position of the Stakeholders.
Other speakers include the host Governor, Peter Mba, and Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebony State.
The meeting attracted the presence of APC Deputy National Chairman, South, Chief Emma Enukwu, several federal legislators of APC extraction, ministers, former Governors (including Chief Ikedi Ohakim, Ifeanyi Ugwuanya), among other stakeholders of APC in the South East.
Oguwike Nwachuku
Chief Press Secretary/Special Adviser (Media) to the Governor
January 10, 2026
News
I would rather die, than betray my predecessor – Gov Buni declares
Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni, has made a powerful declaration, saying he would rather die than to betray his political godfather and current Minister of Police Affairs, Alhaji Ibrahim Gaidam.
Buni made the declaration on Tuesday while addressing delegates shortly after the conclusion of All Progressives Congress, (APC), congress held in Damaturu, the Yobe State capital.
“I would rather die than betray our mentor, Alhaji Ibrahim Gaidam. I remain deeply grateful to him for the role he played in my political journey.
“I will never forget where I am coming from, and I will never turn my back on the man who trusted and supported me,” he said.
He told the gathering that noted political career are built on trust, noting that he is a product of trust.
“I always want to be remembered as someone who never betrays anybody,” he declared.
The governor charged the newly elected party officials in the state to remain steadfast, urging them to uphold trust and integrity in the discharge of their responsibilities.
News
Iran: ‘Nigeria in trouble too’ – Hakeem Baba-Ahmed
Amid the ongoing tension in Iran, former Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Political Matters, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has said that Nigeria too is in trouble.
Baba-Ahmed stated this on Tuesday during an interview on Trust TV monitored by Ekwutosblog.
He was speaking about the attack on Iran by the United States and its ally, Israel.
Ekwutosblog had reported that the US and Israeli launched air strikes on Iran on Saturday resulting in the death of its Supreme Leader and other top political office holders.
Airing his own opinion, Baba-Ahmed said, “Nigeria too is in trouble. We are not safe with what is going on in Iran.
“The world is by now aware of the fact that two days ago, the United States of America and Israel attacked the State of Iran, killed its leader and a number of very senior political and military officers, as well as a number of other citizens.
“Clearly, the United States had decided to affect regime change, meaning removal of the entire leadership of Iran and maybe installing a different one, or giving a chance to the citizens of Iran to choose who will next govern them.
“Unfortunately, it doesn’t work as neatly as leaders like President Donald Trump think. What we are likely to have is what we are beginning to see now, a lot of chaos, prolonged crisis, both within Iran and around it, and a lot of uproar around the world.”
News
Rivers LG chairman under scrutiny over alleged physical assault on female aide
The Chairman of Ahoada West Local Government Area, Hon. Eugene Ekpelle, is facing allegations of assault made by his former media aide, Minnie Ogadinma.
Ogadinma alleged that the council chairman ordered his brother, Monday Cheta, to attack her for allegedly attempting to tarnish his image.
Ekwutosblog reports that trouble started after Ogadinma made a social media post-highlighting the deteriorating condition of Community Secondary School, Odioku.
She alleged that the chairman visited her residence on Sunday evening after her video.
According to her, the chairman accused her of trying to damage his reputation and subsequently directed his brother, Monday Cheta to “teach her a lesson.”
She further alleged that Cheta assaulted her and attempted to use a shovel during the altercation, claiming the situation was only brought under control by neighbours who intervened.
Ogadinma said both she and her mother sustained injuries during the incident and disclosed that she was relieved of her duties as a media aide the same Sunday.
Detailing her account, she stated, “On Thursday, I visited my community secondary school in Odioku.
“When I got there, I saw how bad the school was. They don’t have chairs, no roof over their head. So I made a video calling for help.
“I tagged VeryDarkMan in my post, asking him to come renovate the school for us.
“Yesterday, I was in my house with my mother. Then the chairman came, himself, his younger brother, Monday Cheta, and the security man with the driver.
“They came down from the vehicle. And then when my mummy tried to greet the chairman, the next thing he said was that your daughter wants to damage his image online.
“Then he asked his junior brother, Monday Cheta, that he should teach me a lesson. That was his word. Go and teach this small girl a lesson.
“I was inside my compound. Monday pushed down my gate, pushed my mother. My mummy even had injury on her lips because she had an accident before now that they stitched.
“So, when he pushed my mummy, my mummy started bleeding from her mouth.
“So I ran into my compound. Then Monday entered my compound, started beating me. And then the chairman told him that he should kill me.
“My mom raised an alarm, and my neighbors came around. They had to come and rush him. He used a shovel that he wanted to hit me with.
“Then they rushed him, and they had to separate him from where I was.
“The next thing I heard from the chairman was that even if I should die, that nothing would happen to him, that nobody would do anything to him.”
However, the chairman denied the allegations.
In a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Dennis Ezeuwa Lot, the council described the claim as “false, malicious, and deliberately distorted,” insisting that the Chairman neither assaulted nor directed anyone to assault Ogadinma.
The statement maintained that the Chairman had visited the residence for a peaceful engagement and alleged that Ogadinma confronted him with insults.
It added that she later fell and sustained minor injuries while being restrained by a passerby during a heated exchange.
“At no point did the Chairman engage in any physical confrontation,” the statement said, challenging those promoting the allegation to provide verifiable evidence.
The council further clarified that issues relating to Community Secondary School, Odiokwu fall under the jurisdiction of the Rivers State Government, not the local government, and urged the public to disregard what it termed attempts to create political tension.
Reacting to the development, a Port Harcourt-based human rights lawyer, Chetam Nwala condemned the alleged actions, describing it as “a serious disappointment from a public leader,” and called on security agencies to ensure justice is served.
Also speaking at a media briefing in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, the Director of Pilex Centre for Civic Education, Courage Nsirimovu, said Ogadinma “acted within her constitutional rights as a Nigerian citizen to monitor public projects in her community.”
Similarly, the Director of Relief International Africa, Green Isaac called for the “immediate arrest and prosecution of the council chairman, a public apology and compensation for medical expenses and displacement.”
-
Business1 year ago
US court acquits Air Peace boss, slams Mayfield $4000 fine
-
Trending1 year agoNYA demands release of ‘abducted’ Imo chairman, preaches good governance
-
Politics1 year agoMexico’s new president causes concern just weeks before the US elections
-
Politics1 year agoPutin invites 20 world leaders
-
Politics1 year agoRussia bans imports of agro-products from Kazakhstan after refusal to join BRICS
-
Entertainment1 year ago
Bobrisky falls ill in police custody, rushed to hospital
-
Entertainment1 year ago
Bobrisky transferred from Immigration to FCID, spends night behind bars
-
Education2 years ago
GOVERNOR FUBARA APPOINTS COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR KEN SARO-WIWA POLYTECHNIC BORI
