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Apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has backed the re-election of President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
Ohanaeze said that after careful deliberation and objective assessment, the body affirmed that it is in the best collective interest of the Igbo nation to support the re-election bid of President Bola Tinubu in 2027.
It stated that the approach is aimed at securing the 2031 vice presidency under the All Progressives Congress (APC) and ensuring that the South-East region benefits fully from federal initiatives.
The pan-Igbo organisation reiterated the decisions reached jointly with the South-East Governors’ Forum, the Forum of Former Governors, and South-East serving ministers in January 2026.
According to Ohanaeze, these decisions emphasized that no Igbo candidate, including Mr Peter Obi, should challenge President Tinubu in 2027.
This was contained in a statement issued on Sunday by the Deputy President-General, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, and Chief Thompson Ohia, National Spokesperson, and made available to journalists.
“This strategic restraint is intended to allow the federal government to complete ongoing infrastructure projects, create additional states in the South-East, and implement policies that enhance economic development in the region.
“Ohanaeze extends its congratulations to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on his victory in the APC 2026 presidential primaries.
“We also congratulate South-East governors securing re-election in 2027, with special commendation to Rt. Hon. Kingsley O. Chinda of Rivers State for clinching the APC gubernatorial ticket.
“Strategic negotiations have commenced with key political stakeholders, including the Presidency, to ensure that upon the completion of President Tinubu’s tenure in 2031, a devoted Igbo leader ascends to the office of Vice President.
“Prospective candidates of exceptional calibre include Senator Dave Nweze Umahi and Chimaroke Nnamani.
“This underscores that the achievement of this historic objective requires overwhelming Igbo support for President Tinubu in the 2027 elections, thereby consolidating political leverage and ensuring a tangible return on investment for the South-East.”
Human rights activist Omoyele Sowore has declared interest to run for presidency under the African Action Congress, AAC.
Sowore made this declaration on Friday while responding to questions in an interview on ‘Politics Today’, a programme on Channels Television.
When asked if he would be the sole candidate of the party, Sowore said, “Let the party decide.
“I plan to contest the 2027 presidency. We have not finally submitted list of online registered members. And that’s what the court judgment said.
“So, if you have submitted now, the court says you can reopen your portal and start again. We never stopped anyway.
“Our party started online registration in 2018 when no party was doing it. In 2022, they asked everybody to submit their register. We were the only party that submitted a complete party register to INEC.”
The Nigerian Bar Association has publicly rebuked human rights activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore following a confrontation at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday that drew widespread attention after video footage of the episode circulated online. Sowore has denied the association’s characterization of events and accused its leadership of building its response on what he described as falsehoods.
The NBA described the incident, which occurred on March 24, as a grave concern. According to the association, Sowore entered the courtroom with a number of individuals carrying camera phones and recording equipment, proceeded to set up what appeared to be preparations for a press conference, and had members of his team attend to him in a manner it likened to a broadcast setting. He then moved into the inner bar, sat on one of the tables, and addressed the cameras on what he described as a range of national issues. His case was not listed for hearing on the day, and he was not accompanied by a legal practitioner.
The development triggered a confrontation with Senior Advocate of Nigeria Musibau Adetunbi, who objected to the conduct inside the courtroom. A video of the exchange showed Sowore responding to Adetunbi’s objection: “You’re intimidating me and insulting my intelligence because you’re introducing yourself to me as a SAN. I also have my own SANs.” Order was restored after a court official intervened. Sowore maintained throughout that no violation had occurred, arguing that the judge had not yet taken the bench and the space was accessible to the public.
NBA President Mazi Afam Osigwe, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, issued a formal statement condemning the episode on Wednesday. “Courtrooms in a constitutional democracy are open to the public not as arenas for performance, but as sanctuaries for the orderly administration of justice,” he wrote. He added that while every Nigerian, including Sowore, was entitled to attend and observe proceedings, that right had to be exercised responsibly.
