The Southeast chapter of the Renewed Hope for Greater Nigeria (RHGN) has begun efforts to persuade former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, to withdraw from the 2027 presidential race and support President Bola Tinubu.
The group said it intends to seek the intervention of influential Igbo leaders who could engage Obi and encourage him to reconsider his decision to contest the presidency.
The Southeast Coordinator of RHGN, Mazi Franklin Ngoforo, disclosed this in Owerri, Imo State, on Saturday following a meeting with members of the organisation.
Ngoforo said the group plans to approach the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, led by Senator John Azuta Mbata, alongside prominent Igbo figures such as former Commonwealth Secretary-General, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, and former Chief of Naval Staff, Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe.
According to him, the proposed delegation would meet with Obi and appeal to him to suspend his presidential ambition for the 2027 election.
He stressed that the initiative was not intended to undermine Obi’s political influence or question his popularity among Nigerians.
Rather, Ngoforo said the group wants the former governor to consider the long-term political interests of the Southeast and assess whether postponing his presidential ambition could deliver greater benefits to the region.
The RHGN coordinator argued that the Southeast should adopt a broader political strategy ahead of the 2027 elections instead of focusing solely on producing an Igbo president in the immediate election cycle.
He suggested that the region could build strategic alliances with other parts of the country, particularly the Southwest, to improve its chances of producing a future president.
Ngoforo pointed out that should Tinubu secure re-election in 2027, he would be constitutionally restricted to one additional term in office.
He argued that this could provide the Southeast with an opportunity to strengthen political relationships and negotiate reciprocal commitments that could support the region’s presidential ambitions in the future.
The RHGN leader maintained that supporting the Southwest at this stage could potentially create political goodwill and understanding ahead of the next opportunity for presidential power to rotate within the southern region.
He therefore urged Obi to see any decision to step aside in 2027 as a strategic postponement rather than an abandonment of his presidential ambition.
According to him, withdrawing from the race could give the Southeast more time to build alliances, secure political commitments and position itself for a stronger bid in a subsequent election.
Ngoforo said the group’s position was based on the belief that political strategy should extend beyond a single election cycle.
“The issue is bigger than one election and bigger than one individual,” he said.
He added that the priority should be finding ways to convert current political alliances into tangible benefits and create stronger opportunities for the Southeast to eventually produce the nation’s president.
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