A coalition of past, present, and emerging leaders of the South East has raised alarm over what it described as an impending political marginalization of the region ahead of the 2027 general elections.
This position was contained in a far-reaching communiqué issued at the end of a one-day Leadership Conference held on Wednesday at Western Bricks International Hotel, GRA, Enugu, under the theme: “The 2027 General Elections – Rethinking South East Leadership Roadmap Through Shared Regional Goals.”
The event, convened by the Emerging Leaders Institute, brought together intellectuals, political leaders, traditional stakeholders, and civil society actors who examined the future of the region within Nigeria’s political framework.
The conference emphasized shared regional goals anchored on security, peaceful coexistence, economic viability, reintegration into national politics, and, ultimately, the actualization of a Nigerian President of South East extraction in 2027.
The communiqué warned that the South East faces its “worst political nightmare” since the end of the civil war, noting that for the first time, the region may have no realistic pathway to the presidency or vice presidency on mainstream political platforms.
Delegates expressed concern that, power rotation appears to be shifting permanently between the North and South West, the South East has never produced a president in the current Fourth Republic, with the South West occupying the office three times and the South-South once just as major political parties may neither consult nor involve the region in key decisions, including presidential nominations and national conventions.
The participants described these developments as “frightening prospects” and a continuation of what they termed longstanding political injustice against the South East.
The communiqué also decried what it described as a deepening leadership vacuum in the region and criticized Ohanaeze Ndigbo, traditional rulers, governors, federal and state lawmakers, and local government officials for “failing woefully” to provide direction and defend regional interests.
It further condemned the alleged “poaching game” by the APC-led Federal Government, claiming that the defection of governors and federal lawmakers had not translated into better security or welfare for citizens. Instead, the signatories argued that such political moves had weakened collective morale and aggravated feelings of alienation.
To address the leadership vacuum, conference participants announced the formation of a new non-partisan political union known as the South East Enlightenment Group (SEEG).
The body aims to unify the region, drive massive enlightenment campaigns, and build alliances across Nigeria to advance the quest for a South East presidency in 2027.
SEEG resolved that Political parties should zone their presidential tickets exclusively to the South East in 2027, the region will align only with parties that present presidential candidates from the South East, governors or political actors from the region who work against the 2027 South East presidential project will be voted out, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is urged not to seek re-election in 2027 but support a South Easterner to complete the South’s eight-year presidential turn before power returns to the North.
It also called on former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to forgo any presidential ambitions and back a South East candidate adding that the South East will mobilize voters to achieve at least 90 percent turnout in the 2027 general elections.
The communiqué was signed by nine prominent scholars, professionals, and activists, including Dr. Godwin I. Udibe, Prof. Jehu Onyekwere Nnaji, Prof. Ifeanyi Chris Onodugo, Sir Arc. Victor Okolo, Hon. Barr. John Nwobodo, Comrade Ibuchukwu Ezike, Dr. Kenneth Nwankwo, Mr. Amechi Ezugwu, and Dr. James Odoh.
The conference reaffirmed that the quest for a Nigerian President of South East extraction is a matter of equity, conscience, and national inclusion, insisting that 2027 presents a defining moment for the region and the nation’s democratic future.
