The South-East chapter of the Renewed Hope for Greater Nigeria (RHGN), a support group for President Bola Tinubu, says it plans to engage prominent Igbo leaders to persuade Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), to withdraw from the 2027 presidential race and support Tinubu’s re-election bid.
The group disclosed this after a meeting in Owerri, Imo State, on Saturday, where members discussed strategies for mobilising support for Tinubu across the five South-East states.
RHGN South-East leader, Franklin Ngoforo, said the group intends to approach the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, led by Senator John Azuta Mbata, as well as prominent elder statesmen, including former Commonwealth Secretary-General Emeka Anyaoku and former Chief of General Staff Ebitu Ukiwe.
Ngoforo said the proposed delegation would seek to engage Obi directly and persuade him to reconsider his decision to contest the 2027 presidential election.
According to him, the initiative is not intended to undermine Obi’s political standing but to encourage him to consider what the group described as the long-term strategic interests of the South-East.
Ngoforo argued that supporting Tinubu in 2027 could create an opportunity for the South-East to build a stronger political relationship with the South-West and position the region for greater political influence in subsequent elections.
He noted that Tinubu, if re-elected, would be constitutionally limited to one additional term, arguing that the South-East could use the period to build political alliances and negotiate reciprocal support for its presidential ambitions in the future.
“The issue is bigger than one election and bigger than one individual,” Ngoforo said, urging the region to focus on long-term political strategy rather than the immediate contest.
He said Obi could view withdrawing from the 2027 race as a postponement of his presidential ambition rather than an abandonment of it.
The proposal comes amid heightened political activity ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with Obi and former Kano State governor Rabiu Kwankwaso emerging as the NDC presidential and vice-presidential candidates. President Tinubu is seeking a second term on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The RHGN initiative has, however, already attracted opposition from some Igbo groups. The Igbo Heroes and Icons Foundation criticised the proposal and called instead for Tinubu to support Obi, highlighting the competing political positions emerging in the South-East ahead of the election.
The proposed engagement with Ohanaeze Ndigbo and the elder statesmen would need to result in Obi changing his political position for the RHGN’s objective to succeed. There is no indication that Obi has agreed to withdraw from the 2027 presidential contest.
