…call for revival of coal mines, seaport, railway projects

Governors, Ministers, and prominent political leaders in the South-East, alongside the apex Igbo socio-cultural body, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, have formally endorsed President Bola Tinubu as their consensus candidate for the 2027 general elections.

The decision was contained in a communiqué issued on Monday after the 2025 annual Igbo Day celebration themed “Igbo Ekunie: The Reawakening of the Igbo Spirit of Excellence and Enterprise.” 

The week-long events, which held across the seven Igbo-speaking states, ended with a grand finale in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on September 29.

Signatories to the communiqué included Prince Dr Richard Ozobu, Chief Jackson Omenazu, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, Prof Chibuikeya Achoakawa, Chief Chinenyeze, Prof Nneoma Ukpabi, and Chief Alex Okemiri.

The statement highlighted interfaith prayers held across the region at Afikpo Central Mosque in Ebonyi on September 26, at the Seventh-Day Adventist Church in Umuahia on September 27, and a global service at Jesus Sanctuary Ministries in Port Harcourt on September 28, all aimed at seeking peace, security, and prosperity for the South-East.

In a declaration, the communiqué announced that the 73-year-old political rift stemming from the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC) crisis of 1952, which prevented Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe from becoming Premier of the Western Region, would no longer define Igbo–Yoruba relations. Leaders insisted the era of rivalry must end.

The group praised President Tinubu for including the South-East in major infrastructure projects, particularly the N5 trillion national road development programme spearheaded by the Minister of Works, Engr David Umahi.

It further demanded the revival of stalled regional projects including the Enugu Coal Mine, the Azumiri Seaport in Abia, the Ivo Dam, and swift completion of the Port Harcourt–Maiduguri railway, describing it as critical to trade and economic integration.

The communiqué added with a pledge of “total support for Asiwaju President Tinubu’s uninterrupted presidency until 2031,” adding that South-East leaders would suspend backing for opposition candidates in future elections.