2027: Ex-Abia commissioner, Ukandu faults President Tinubu’s endorsement for second term by Southeast APC leaders

By Chijindu Emeruwa

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party and former Abia State Commissioner of Lands, Chief Suleiman Ukandu, has faulted the recent endorsement of President Bola Tinubu for a second term in office in 2027 by leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the southeast zone.

Recall that the southeast leaders and stakeholders affirmed tinubu’s endorsement during an enlarged stakeholders meeting of the APC held in January in Enugu.

The leaders hinged on their decision to giant developmental strides recorded by President tinubu’s administration in the last two and half years in office.

Chief Suleiman Ukandu, while baring his minds in an interview with newsmen on Monday in Abuja, maintained that the southeast party leaders who converged and endorsed tinubu for another term in office in Enugu, lacked political will to speak for majority of people from the zone, concerning Nigeria presidential election scheduled in 2027.

He posited that President tinubu’s purported endorsement for a second term in office by party leaders from the southeast does not reflect to the current mood of the people in the region whom according to him, have not felt positive impacts of the present APC- controlled federal government in the southeast.

According to the ex-local council chairman, “I want to advent your mind that the people that went to adopt the President for a second term are all members of his party(APC). It is normal. But southeast APC leaders can’t speak for ndigbo. Igbos are nuclear people who belonged to different leanings. They belonged to different political parties. And some are not even politicians or belong to any political party.

“It’s just that the media does not educate people very well. They don’t extinguish that when a political party go to adopt their member, it should be made clear that these are partisan adoptions. And that adoption or endorsement is purely partisan. Because, the much-touted endorsement was mainly carried out by APC actors in southeast that gathered to adopt presidential candidate of their party. So, it has nothing to do with southeast. The southeast zone has not sat down on a consensus, and endorse any person.

“You should know that the southeast’s political trajectory is purely republican in nature. And you should also take a foray into southeast’s political history, you don’t buck them through aggregated partisanship. They know what they want. At the appropriate time, ndigbo will know what to do.

“So, tinubu’s endorsement is purely a partisan adoption by a particular political party, which is normal for them to support their own presidential candidate. But such endorsement cannot be ascribed as the unanimous decision of majority of the people in southeast geopolitical region,”Ukandu posited.

Asked also to evaluate President Bola Tinubu’s administration towards addressing teething challenges facing southeast geopolitical region, Chief Suleiman Ukandu opined that the present federal government of Nigeria controlled by the APC has not done enough to foster tangible developments in the southeast.

According to the opposition chieftain, “In history of contemporary politics in Nigeria, the southeast particularly has never been given any dividends of democracy. None the less, this particular administration led by APC. This particular administration is only being transactional in the southeast. It is a transactional administration. What is really happening in the southeast in terms of democratic dividends, it’s purely on a transactional level. He is just creating political elites and transacting with them, which does not trickle down to the southeast zone as a geopolitical entity or which do not in anyway depicts any form of development.

The renowned lawyer queried “What development are we going to talk about? Because, people will always mention to you south east development commission (SEDC). It is not an achievement by the President. It is just an act of parliament. The question of southeast development commission shouldn’t be counted as achievement, because, it is prorata in entire geopolitical zones of the country.

“We have other development commissions for other geopolitical zones of Nigeria. Nobody should even talk about that. It is not only the southeast development commission that existed in Nigeria. There are other development commissions earlier established for other geopolitical zones of the country before southeast. So, what makes it an achievement?

Continuing, he stated “Infact, for me as a person and someone who look into the contents analysis and body language of the president, President Tinubu has nothing for the south-eastern part of Nigeria. The only thing is that he is trying to create elites and transact. The President is trying to create an euphoria of political comradeship for him to get an inroad to southeast and try to assuage their electoral contents. But in terms of having inner thinking, from the depth of his own mind to develop the southeast, i don’t think it is there. You can see it from the happenings in Nigeria.

“Because, if somebody want to bring a development in your area, you will know. It doesn’t have to be transactional in nature. It have to be forthright. So, i have not seen what this present Tinubu’s government are doing. And you appoint someone as a minister is personal. Because, the ministerial appointment is a personal thing to the person you give it to. I don’t think President Tinubu has done much in the southeast zone to earn maximum supports from the larger people of the zone”, the Abia PDP stalwart insisted.