Kalu: Igbo People Have No Other Candidate, South-East Will Deliver Tinubu in 2027
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Okezie Kalu, has declared that the South-East will support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima for re-election in 2027.
Kalu said the region had reached a unanimous decision to return the APC-led administration, citing what he described as Tinubu’s genuine love and commitment to the Igbo people.
The Deputy Speaker made the statement on Saturday at the flag-off of the APC Women’s Mobilisation Campaign and South-East Women Empowerment Programme in Enugu, organised by First Lady Oluremi Tinubu.
He urged the people of the South-East to support the President in appreciation of his policies and developmental interventions in the region.
Kalu recalled that during Tinubu’s tenure as Lagos State governor from 1999 to 2007, he appointed Igbo people into key positions in his administration, including Ben Akabueze.
He said the President’s relationship with the Igbo community predated his emergence as Nigeria’s President, adding that the region should reciprocate his gestures.
The Deputy Speaker also highlighted the establishment of the South-East Development Commission as one of the major achievements of the Tinubu administration, noting that the bill had remained unsuccessful through successive legislative assemblies before it was signed into law.
According to him, the Igbo people waited for nearly 60 years for the promises of Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Reintegration made after the civil war to be fulfilled.
He said Tinubu had taken practical steps to address some of the region’s longstanding developmental concerns through road construction, bridges, scholarships and other support programmes.
Kalu also praised the First Lady for extending empowerment opportunities to women across the South-East.
Speaking on the region’s political direction ahead of the 2027 election, he urged the people to come out en masse on January 16 to vote for Tinubu and Shettima.
“The mandate of Ndi Igbo for now is to support the man that has been supporting us. This man has not hidden his love for Ndi Igbo,” he said.
Kalu further argued that the South-East deserved a full eight-year presidential tenure when it eventually produces Nigeria’s leader, insisting that the region should enjoy the same opportunity given to other geopolitical zones.
He said it would be unfair for the Igbo to be limited to four years after waiting for almost six decades for the opportunity to produce a President.
Note: Both versions retain the January 16, 2027 date as stated in the press release. It may be worth independently confirming the election date before publication.
