Southern Summit Declares Tinubu Sole Candidate for 2027

The Southern Summit of Former Legislators has declared President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the sole candidate of the South for the 2027 general elections, citing his reforms and “purposeful leadership” as the foundation for Nigeria’s ongoing recovery. The summit, held in Abeokuta and attended by prominent political figures including former Senate President Ken Nnamani and former Speakers of the House of Representatives Yakubu Dogara and Patricia Etteh, unanimously endorsed Tinubu while urging Nigerians to rally behind his administration.

In a communiqué signed by Hon. Adeyemi Oluwole, Chairman of the Southern Caucus, and Hon. Israel Sunny Goli, Secretary, the group stressed that the South should be allowed to complete its constitutionally rotational eight-year tenure in the presidency. The communiqué praised the President’s policies, pointing to the establishment of regional development commissions, the push for local government autonomy, the student loans scheme, and deregulation of the electricity sector as critical innovations aimed at transforming the economy. The former legislators declared their commitment to supporting initiatives that strengthen national unity and urged states and citizens alike to key into Tinubu’s reforms to fully harness their potential.

Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, who convened the summit, highlighted Tinubu’s economic performance, noting that with the signing of tax reforms into law, Nigeria had entered “a new era of economic justice built on fairness, accountability, and national purpose.” He cited World Bank data showing that the economy grew by 4.6 percent in the final quarter of 2024, with overall annual growth at 3.4 percent, the fastest in a decade. He added that the fiscal deficit fell from 5.4 percent of GDP in 2023 to 3 percent in 2024, while federation revenues rose from N16.8 trillion to N31.9 trillion.

Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State, host of the summit, described nation-building as a collective duty that transcends political and ethnic lines, stressing that unity does not mean uniformity but a celebration of diversity under the framework of justice and equity. Former Speaker Dogara, once a critic of Tinubu’s candidacy, urged Nigerians to disregard political “pretenders” motivated by vengeance and power, insisting that the administration’s policies were steering the country toward recovery. Patricia Etteh, another former Speaker, emphasized the importance of dialogue, cohesion, and shared purpose in securing sustainable development.

Senator Ken Nnamani, who chaired the occasion, underscored the need for former legislators to engage in national dialogue and offer practical solutions to Nigeria’s challenges, while National Coordinator of the summit, Hon. Raphael Igbokwe, assured that the platform would remain a vehicle for promoting cooperation between the federal government and sub-national entities.

The Southern Summit reaffirmed its support for Tinubu to complete the South’s tenure by 2031, after which it pledged to support the North in reclaiming the presidency. The endorsement adds to the growing list of backing President Tinubu has received from APC governors and leaders across the country’s six geo-political zones.