2027: South-South APC Endorses Tinubu, Three Govs as Sole Candidates, Passes Confidence Vote on Akpabio

South-South leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) rose from a stakeholders’ meeting yesterday to endorse President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the sole presidential candidate of the party for the 2027 general election.

The meeting also adopted three governors on the platform of the party as candidates in 2027.
 The governors are: Bassey Edet Otu (Cross Rivers), Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta), and Umo Eno (Akwa-Ibom).
The host governor, Monday Okpebholo, who would have been the fourth governor, has his re-election for 2028.
The position of the South-South governors and leaders was made known in a communique after a stakeholders’ interactive session held in Benin City, capital of Edo State.

The event, which witnessed various prominent figures like Senate President, Godswill Akpabio; Senators Adams Oshiomhole, Ned Nwoko, and other members of the National Assembly on the platform of APC, extolled the leadership qualities of President Tinubu.

They threw their weight behind the president to continue his Renewed Hope Agenda in 2027 to solidify his developmental strides and put the country on the path of continuous growth.
Other prominent leaders of the party like the four governors Delta, Akwa Ibom, Cross River and Edo states who were also present at the meeting, in their remarks, said there was need for the party in the region to sell the policies of President Tinubu to other two states of Rivers and Bayelsa to woo them to APC.

Collectively, the various speakers passed a vote of confidence on President Tinubu and Akpabio.
They highlighted various reforms currently underway in Nigeria, including the Lagos-Calabar coastal road, student loan initiative, and the exemption of low-income earners from tax payments, as key achievements of the current administration, which formed the basis for the region’s support for the president.

The communique, which was read by the APC National Vice Chairman, South-South, Chief Victor Giadom, read in part: “We commend Mr. President for his uncommon love and support for the South-South region, which is reflected in the support for the emergence of Senate President for the region in the person of Senator Godswill Akpabio, and speedily acceding into law, the South-South Development Commission. We also take cognisance of the massive developmental projects in the region, including but not limited to the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road.
“We therefore unanimously pass a vote of confidence on our uncommon President of the Senate, His Excellency Senator Godswill Akpabio, for his outstanding leadership, for uniting the South-South region, and for his support for the renewed Hope Agenda of Mr. President.

“We welcome the governors, stakeholders, and supporters of the South-South States for their patriotic and courageous decisions of embracing the renewed Home Agenda and joining the All Progressive Congress (APC). We therefore humbly call on the remaining two non-APC governors of the region, namely the Governor of Rivers State and Bayelsa State, and their supporters, to also join the progressive family in the APC.
“We pass a vote of confidence on the four APC Governors of the South-South region, namely Senator Bassey Edet Otu of Cross Rivers State; Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State, Pastor Eno Umoh of Akwa-Ibom State, and Senator Monday Okpebholo of Edo State.

“We hereby unanimously adopt Mr. President, His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as our sole candidate for the 2027 election. We also endorsed the four governors of the APC in the region as candidates of the party in the 2027 governorship election. That is the decision of the South-South Zone of the All-Progressive Congress.

The Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, moved the motion for the adoption of the communique, endorsing President Tinubu as the sole candidate of the party in 2027, and the four governors of the party as candidates in their respective states.
The motion was seconded by the Senator representing Edo North, Senator Oshiomhole.
Earlier in his welcome address, the host governor, Senator Okpebholo, expressed his gratitude to all the APC stakeholders, emphasising the unprecedented unity displayed by their gathering in Benin City.