2027 election: 5 powerful governors back Tinubu, see full list and details of the development
Five powerful governors have pledged their support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead of the 2027 elections. This alliance could significantly impact the political landscape as the election approaches.
- Imo Governor Hope Uzodimma explained that south-east governors reviewed the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration's record and reached a unanimous decision
- The governors cited key federal projects in the region, including the South East Development Commission and the Eastern Rail Corridor, as reasons for their stance
- Uzodimma warned he would personally fight to protect Imo's Charter of Equity ahead of the state's next governorship transition (in late 2027)
Owerri, Imo state - Hope Uzodimma, governor of Imo, on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, publicly announced that all five governors of the south-east geopolitical zone have agreed to back President Bola Tinubu's re-election campaign ahead of the 2027 elections.
As reported by Channels TV, Uzodimma, who chairs the South East Governors' Forum, made the disclosure during a meeting with the Imo State Elders Council and traditional rulers in Owerri, the capital city.
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Uzodimma said:
"We, the five governors of the south-east, have reviewed all options and decided that we will work with President Bola Tinubu because we want to be part of the Project Nigeria."
He added that a joint courtesy visit to the president was being planned to formalise the partnership.
'Federal projects behind 2027 election decision'
The governor pointed to a series of federal interventions he said demonstrated the administration's commitment to the zone. He highlighted the signing of the South East Development Commission Act into law on July 24, 2024, the inauguration of its governing board in February 2025, and the subsequent release of funding to get the commission operational, describing it as a demand that had gone unmet since the end of the civil war.
Uzodimma also cited the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt–Aba rail line and the resumption of commercial services on the route as a meaningful step towards reconnecting the south-east to Nigeria's national rail network. He praised President Tinubu's approval of a $3 billion reconstruction of the Eastern Rail Corridor, which runs from Port Harcourt through the South-East to Maiduguri.
Furthermore, the Imo governor referenced federal work on the Phase 2A and 2B access routes to the Second Niger Bridge, a dual carriageway linking Umunya, Ogbunike, Ogidi, Nkpor and Asaba through seven bridges. He also highlighted two additional road projects, the 108-kilometre Otuocha-Anam-Abaji Road and the 150-kilometre Oba-Nnewi-Uga-Ihube/Okigwe Junction Road, saying they would strengthen economic ties between Anambra, Imo, Abia and neighbouring states.
He said:
"The south-east has decided. Our people judge governments by performance and not by political sentiments. The evidence is on the ground."
Beyond the 2027 presidential endorsement, Uzodimma used the Owerri gathering to press the Elders Council and traditional rulers to support the implementation of Imo's Charter of Equity, a law he said was designed to rotate political power fairly across the state and prevent any single bloc from dominating governance.
He warned that any attempt to circumvent the charter for personal political gain would be resisted.
He declared:
"I will take the fight personally to protect the Charter of Equity. I will stop at nothing."
The governor stated that his successor must emerge through the charter's framework and must demonstrate integrity and a commitment to sustaining the reforms his administration had pursued since 2020.
The five governors who have reportedly resolved to support President Tinubu's 2027 re-election bid are listed below:
- Abia (Alex Otti)
- Anambra (Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo)
- Ebonyi (Francis Nwifuru)
- Enugu (Peter Mbah)
- Imo (Hope Uzodimma)
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