Onyekachi Nwebonyi, deputy chief whip of the Senate, has backed Hope Uzodimma, governor of Imo, over his remarks on support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in the south-east region.
According to the legislator, the president will win majority
of votes in all five south-east states in the 2027 election.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) senator, who represents
Ebonyi North in the red chamber, spoke on Seun Okinbaloye’s ‘Mic On Podcast’,
which aired on Sunday.
BACKGROUND
During a meeting with the Imo State Elders Council and
traditional rulers in Owerri on July 23, Uzodimma had said the south-east
region and its five governors had resolved to support Tinubu’s second term bid.
The chairman of the South-East Governors’ Forum (SEGF) said
since the inception of his administration, Tinubu has demonstrated
unprecedented commitment to the development of the region under the Renewed
Hope Agenda.
However, the remarks sparked reactions on social media, with
Alex Otti, governor of Abia, saying although Uzodimma has the right to express
his opinion as governor and in his personal capacity, he should not speak on
behalf of all south-east governors.
Nwebonyi, however, said Igbos are in support of Tinubu
because of the impact of the president’s projects and policies in the region.
“That statement reflects the position of the ordinary Igbo
man and all residents of the south-east,” he said.
“The Igbos are for Tinubu. And he will have our votes.
Tinubu is going to win in the five states of the south-east and I will give you
reasons.”
He said the completion of major road projects, including the
Onitsha-Enugu and Enugu-Aba corridors, would influence the voting decisions of
residents in the region.
“From Onitsha to Enugu, before now, it would take you three
to four hours. But today, you can do Onitsha to Enugu in less than one hour
because Tinubu has done the road. Not only has he done the road, he has done it
in a way that will last for 100 years,” he said.
“From Enugu to Aba, before now, it would take you three
hours because of the poor state of the road. But as I speak to you, you can do
Enugu to Aba in one hour.
“From Aba to Port Harcourt, before now, it would take you
three to four hours. But as I speak to you, you can travel from Enugu to Port
Harcourt in less than three hours. One carriageway has been completed with
concrete pavement.
“Not only that, from Enugu to Ebonyi, during the festive
period, it would take you three to four hours because of the traffic at that
market. But go and see the beautiful flyover the minister of works built.”
Asked whether infrastructure projects would be enough to
secure Tinubu’s victory in the south-east, considering that the APC lost the
region in 2023 despite former President Muhammadu Buhari’s projects, Nwebonyi
dismissed comparisons with the previous administration.
He argued that Buhari’s projects did not have the same
impact because some major projects, including the Second Niger Bridge, were not
completed at the time.
“We didn’t praise Buhari. I was not among those praising
Buhari because we had not enough reason,” he said.
“Igbos are republican in nature. We are not cheap people. It
is only when you do something that positively affects our lives that we vote
for you. And Tinubu has done so.”
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