The apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, has declared support for the re-election bid of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 general elections, describing the move as a strategic pathway towards securing the Vice Presidency for Ndigbo in 2031.

In a press release dated May 24, 2026, the organisation said its position followed what it described as “careful deliberation and objective assessment” of the political future of the Southeast region and the broader interests of the Igbo nation.

According to the statement, Ohanaeze maintained that backing President Tinubu’s second-term ambition under the All Progressives Congress (APC) would position the Southeast to benefit from federal projects, political negotiations, and developmental initiatives while strengthening the region’s leverage ahead of the 2031 political transition.

The group stated that its endorsement aligns with resolutions reportedly reached in January 2026 in collaboration with the Southeast Governors’ Forum, former governors from the region, and serving ministers of Southeast extraction. It noted that the stakeholders agreed no Igbo candidate should contest against President Tinubu in 2027, including Mr. Peter Obi, in order to sustain political cooperation with the federal government.

Ohanaeze said the decision was designed to allow the administration to complete ongoing infrastructure projects in the Southeast, facilitate the creation of additional states in the region, and implement economic policies expected to improve development and prosperity.

The organisation also congratulated President Tinubu on his reported victory at the APC 2026 presidential primaries and extended goodwill to Southeast governors seeking re-election in 2027. It further gave special commendation to Rt. Hon. Kingsley O. Chinda over his emergence as the APC gubernatorial candidate in Rivers State.

Speaking on future political arrangements, Ohanaeze disclosed that strategic consultations had commenced with key stakeholders, including the Presidency, to ensure that an Igbo politician emerges as Vice President after President Tinubu’s tenure in 2031.

The group named Senator Dave Nweze Umahi and Chimaroke Nnamani among personalities it described as prospective candidates of exceptional calibre for the vice-presidential position.

Ohanaeze stressed that achieving the political objective would require overwhelming support from Ndigbo for President Tinubu in the 2027 election, insisting that such backing would consolidate the region’s bargaining power and secure meaningful political returns for the Southeast.

The statement was jointly issued by Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, Deputy President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, and Chief Thompson Ohia, National Spokesman of the organisation.