Imo Governor Hope Uzodimma says the region has resolved to work with Tinubu, citing federal projects delivered since 2023
Hope Uzodimma, Governor of Imo State, says the five governors of the south-east region have resolved to support President Bola Tinubu’s second-term bid ahead of the 2027 elections.
The chairman of the South-East Governors’ Forum (SEGF) spoke on Wednesday during a meeting with the Imo State Elders Council and traditional rulers in Owerri.
Why Uzodimma says the south-east is backing Tinubu
Uzodimma said Tinubu has demonstrated unprecedented commitment to the region’s development under the Renewed Hope Agenda, citing what he described as tangible, verifiable evidence.
“The South-east has decided. Our people judge governments by performance and not by political sentiments. The evidence is on the ground,” he 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 said the governors, who belong to different political parties, would soon pay a joint courtesy visit to the president to further strengthen their partnership with the federal government.
Uzodimma cited the South East Development Commission Act, signed into law in July 2024, as one of the administration’s most notable interventions in the region, saying Tinubu had ensured the commission commenced operations with the required funding since its board was inaugurated.
He also pointed to the president’s approval of a $3 billion reconstruction of the Eastern Rail Corridor, stretching from Port Harcourt through the south-east to Maiduguri, which he said would boost commerce and regional integration.
Other projects Uzodimma credits to Tinubu
Uzodimma highlighted the execution of the Phase 2A and 2B access roads to the Second Niger Bridge, including the dual carriageway linking Umunya, Ogbunike, Ogidi, Nkpor and Asaba, with seven bridges along the corridor.
He also cited the rehabilitation and resumption of commercial operations on the Port Harcourt-Aba rail line, which he said would reconnect the south-east to the national rail network.
Beyond road and rail projects, Uzodimma said all states in the region had benefited from increased federal allocations, improved security efforts, and student loan programmes that had made education more affordable for south-east youths.
Turning to state matters, he urged the Imo State Elders Council and traditional rulers to remain committed to implementing the state’s Charter of Equity, describing it as the foundation for lasting peace, justice and political stability in Imo.
One of the five governors, Abia State’s Alex Otti of the opposition Labour Party, had separately, on Tuesday, described Tinubu’s economic reforms as courageous, telling First Lady Remi Tinubu during her visit to Abia that the president deserved recognition for removing the fuel subsidy and floating the naira despite the short-term hardship the policies caused.
“It takes a man with courage to do what he did in 2023: remove petroleum subsidy and follow suit with the floating of the naira,” Otti said.
He has previously said he is “not in a position to oppose” Tinubu’s 2027 candidacy, though he has not issued a personal endorsement in the same terms as Uzodimma’s characterisation of the region’s position.
