The Southeast chapter of the Renewed Hope for Greater Nigeria (RHGN) has announced plans to engage prominent Igbo statesmen and socio-cultural groups to persuade former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, to step down his 2027 presidential ambition and endorse President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid.
​The political support group made the declaration during a press briefing following a high-level executive leadership meeting held on Saturday morning, August 29, 2026, at the Imo Concorde Hotel in Owerri, Imo State.
​Addressing journalists at 11:30 AM after the meeting, Mazi Franklin Ngoforo, Deputy National Leader (Southeast) and official spokesman for RHGN, stated that the organization intends to formally approach the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, under President-General Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, alongside eminent elder statesmen including former Commonwealth Secretary-General Chief Emeka Anyaoku and retired Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe. The aim is to form a high-powered delegation to hold structured talks with Obi.
​”This initiative is not meant to diminish Peter Obi’s political stature, but to ask him to prioritize the long-term, strategic interest of Ndigbo above personal ambition,” Ngoforo said. “A unified effort behind President Tinubu in 2027 puts the Southeast in a much stronger position to build the political capital and alliances required to secure the presidency when power transitions back to the South.”
​Ngoforo argued that ongoing internal disputes and structural challenges within opposition coalitions have compromised Obi’s campaign machinery ahead of the upcoming election cycle.
He noted that political calculations in Nigeria depend on reciprocal alliances, pointing out that supporting Tinubu’s final term creates a legitimate basis for the Southwest and other political zones to back a Southeast candidate in subsequent cycles.
​Also speaking at the briefing, Hon. Calistus Anyanwu, National Convener of RHGN, highlighted key federal initiatives as evidence of the administration’s commitment to the region.
He cited the operationalization of the South East Development Commission (SEDC), local government financial autonomy, and targeted infrastructure projects across the five southeastern states as grounds for a consolidated regional stance.
​RHGN announced that its formal outreach and consultations with the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization and targeted elders are scheduled to commence in early September 2026 across Enugu, Anambra, and Lagos.
