The South East Coalition For Good Governance (SECG) has warned that if Peter Obi is not elected President in 2027, the region will have to wait until 2039 to have another shot at Nigeria’s highest office.
Ernest Ofondu, President of SECG, issued the warning in Enugu while speaking with INNONEWS, where he declared that 2027 is the most critical opportunity for the South East to produce a President. According to him, if the zone fails to clinch power now, it will have to wait until 2039.
“It is 2027 or never. If the South East misses this golden chance, power will return to the North after Tinubu’s second term ends in 2031, and the wait could stretch till 2039. This is the harsh political reality,” Ofondu stated.
He described the long-standing marginalization of the zone as “a national shame,” insisting that justice, equity, and fairness demand that a South Easterner becomes Nigeria’s President in 2027.
“We have endured decades of exclusion and discrimination. The wounds are deep, and they must be healed through justice,” he said.
Ofondu took a swipe at Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, for recently declaring that it is not the South East’s turn to produce the next President. He labelled Umahi’s comment as “hypocrisy laced with betrayal” and “a slap in the face of his own people.”
“How can Umahi say the South East should wait? Whose script is he reading? Certainly not that of Ndigbo,” he fumed.
On the issue of a one-term presidency, the SECG President said Peter Obi’s assurance of governing for just one term is both “realistic and strategic.” According to him, Obi is capable of delivering on his promises within four years and then returning power to the North in 2031.
“Obi’s one-term presidency is not just a political promise, it’s a practical route to national stability. He has the capacity, discipline and credibility to keep his word,” Ofondu added.
He also dismissed any notion that Atiku Abubakar, who is reportedly seeking the ADC presidential ticket, can defeat President Tinubu in 2027.
“Let’s be honest—Atiku is politically exhausted. Only Obi commands the kind of national appeal and youth-driven movement that can uproot Tinubu,” he said.
Ofondu urged the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to read the handwriting on the wall and throw its weight behind Peter Obi, describing him as the only candidate capable of rallying national support across party, ethnic and religious lines.
“If the ADC is truly serious about kicking the APC and Tinubu out of power, they should stop playing games and hand the presidential ticket to Obi. Anything else is self-sabotage,” he warned.
According to SECG, a strategic alliance between Peter Obi and the ADC will not only guarantee victory in 2027 but also pave the way for a peaceful power rotation back to the North in 2031—preserving the delicate balance of Nigeria’s political arrangement.
