2027: Igbo will back Tinubu with 70% of votes — Deputy Speaker
By Kunle Sanni
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has declared that the South East will deliver over 70 percent of its votes to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 general election, citing the President’s commitment to the development of the region.
Kalu made the statement on Friday in Ntalakwu, Ikwuano Local Government Area of Abia State, during a grand reception organized in his honour by the Atuma Grace Movement, led by former House of Representatives member, Chief Emeka Atuma.
He pointed to the creation of the South East Development Commission (SEDC) as a major milestone, describing it as the fulfillment of a long-standing promise of reconstruction, rehabilitation, and reintegration made to the region after the 1970 civil war—one that previous administrations had failed to deliver.
“No other President has remembered the promise made to the Igbo people after the war like President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” Kalu said. “He signed the SEDC bill into law and funded it, despite skepticism. We are promising the President 70 to 80 percent of votes from Igboland.”
At the event, Kalu was conferred with the chieftaincy title Dike Eji Aga Mba (“The People’s Warrior”) by King Larry, the traditional ruler of the ancient Ntalakwu Kingdom.
The Deputy Speaker also welcomed a wave of defectors from the Labour Party (LP) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC). Among them were Retired Major Akubundu Awa; former Abia State House of Assembly Majority Leader, Chief Wisdom Ogbonna; former President-General of the Oboro Community Welfare Association, Chief Kingsley Uwa; and former Ikwuano Education Secretary, Chief Sir Uche Nwachukwu.
Reacting to reports that traditional rulers in Abia State have been barred from engaging with federal officials, Kalu criticized the move as divisive and detrimental.
“Restricting traditional rulers from engaging with federal government representatives is not the kind of leadership Abia State needs. We should be focused on governance, not political intimidation,” he said.
