Vice President Kashim Shettima has defended President Bola Tinubu’s administration, declaring that its investments in infrastructure, security, agriculture and human capital development are transforming the South-East economy.
Shettima made the declaration during the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign rally in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, where he appealed to residents to renew Tinubu’s mandate ahead of the January 16, 2027 presidential election.
According to the Vice President, the Federal Government’s interventions across the region are designed to improve transportation networks, strengthen food security, stimulate economic activities and restore security in communities affected by instability.
He maintained that Ebonyi State had benefited from several federal government initiatives, including major infrastructure projects, political appointments and social welfare programmes.
“This campaign has been a season of triumph. We have triumphed over the falsehoods of our opponents. We have never turned our backs on you. We have answered your support with projects, and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has honoured Ebonyi through distinguished appointments and projects across the state,” Shettima said.
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He described the relationship between the Federal Government and Ebonyi as one built on mutual commitment, insisting that the state deserved to continue benefiting from the administration’s development agenda.
The Vice President added that although the APC had previously enjoyed the support of the people, democracy required the party to return to the electorate to seek another mandate.
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Shettima Highlights Major Infrastructure Projects in South-East
Highlighting the administration’s infrastructure investments, Shettima identified the proposed Calabar–Ebonyi–Benue–Kogi–Nasarawa–Abuja Superhighway as one of the major projects expected to improve connectivity between the South-East, North-Central and other parts of the country.
He also mentioned the Ndibe Bridge, which is expected to connect Ebonyi State with Cross River State, the Enugu–Abakaliki–Ogoja Expressway and the Okposi–Ohaozara–Ukawu–Cross River road.
According to him, the projects would significantly improve the movement of agricultural produce and manufactured goods, reduce transportation costs and expand access to markets for businesses and farmers.
On agriculture, Shettima described Ebonyi as an important contributor to Nigeria’s food supply, particularly through its production of rice and cassava.
He said the Federal Government had introduced various interventions, including fertilizer distribution, interest-free FarmerMoni assistance and investments in rural roads, to strengthen agricultural productivity.
The Vice President further disclosed that thousands of residents had benefited from grants under the Presidential Conditional Grant Scheme, while federal employment initiatives and digital skills programmes were providing opportunities for young people.
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Security: Shettima Cites Army Training Depot in Ebonyi
Addressing security concerns in the South-East, Shettima said the Tinubu administration had intensified efforts to restore stability and protect lives, businesses and critical infrastructure.
He cited the establishment and commencement of operations at the Nigerian Army Recruits Training Depot in Amasiri-Edda, Ebonyi State, as part of the Federal Government’s security interventions in the region.
He maintained that economic development could not thrive without a secure environment and assured residents that the government would continue working towards lasting peace.
“The security of the South-East has changed since President Tinubu became Commander-in-Chief over three years ago. We have worked to restore order, and we will keep working,” he said.
Shettima also highlighted the establishment of the South-East Development Commission, the launch of South-East Vision 2050 and the approval of the South-East Investment Company as initiatives aimed at attracting investments and accelerating regional development.
Commending Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, the Vice President said improved federal allocations had strengthened the capacity of state governments to deliver infrastructure and essential services.
Yari, Umahi Set 1.3 Million Vote Target for Ebonyi APC
Meanwhile, the Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Senator Abdulaziz Yari, challenged party members in Ebonyi State to deliver at least 1.2 million votes for President Tinubu in the January 16, 2027 election.
Yari, who said the figures were obtained from the Minister of Works, David Umahi, noted that Ebonyi had approximately 1.8 million registered voters, with about 1.5 million Permanent Voter Cards collected.
“On behalf of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, I am setting my target. My target is a minimum of 1.2 million votes,” he declared.
However, Umahi raised the target to 1.3 million votes, expressing confidence that Ebonyi would deliver overwhelming support for the APC.
He also credited Tinubu with reviving the 65-kilometre Afikpo–Uturu–Okigwe road project, valued at N193 billion, disclosing that construction had reached 40 per cent completion.
Umahi described Ebonyi as a stronghold of the ruling party and expressed confidence in the APC’s electoral prospects in the state.
Uzodimma Warns Federal Projects Could Be Abandoned Without Tinubu’s Re-election
Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, also urged Ebonyi residents to support Tinubu’s re-election bid, warning that ongoing Federal Government projects could be discontinued if the President failed to secure another term.
He encouraged eligible voters to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards, describing the PVC as the most important instrument for determining the country’s political future.
“Our responsibility will start from now to go and look for our PVC. That is the weapon, because if Bola Tinubu is not re-elected, all these ongoing projects will stop,” Uzodimma said.
He further reminded supporters that the APC was the party’s name on the ballot paper and urged them to vote for it during the election.
Director of Mobilization of the campaign council, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, used the occasion to criticize former Rivers State Governor and African Democratic Congress (ADC) vice-presidential candidate, Rotimi Amaechi.
Oshiomhole described Amaechi as a serial loser, recalling his legal challenge to the emergence of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Nwifuru Appeals to Tinubu Over Ebonyi Electricity Challenge
In his remarks, Ebonyi State Governor Francis Nwifuru reaffirmed his administration’s support for Tinubu, insisting that the state’s position was based on the President’s performance rather than political sentiments.
He, however, appealed to the Federal Government to address Ebonyi’s electricity infrastructure deficit, pointing out that the state remained the only one without a 330kV transmission line.
According to Nwifuru, the absence of the facility had negatively affected the state’s industrialization drive and economic development.
He appealed to Tinubu to either provide the necessary funding for the project or approve its installation by the Federal Government.
Representing the APC National Chairman, the party’s National Vice Chairman for the South-East, Ben Nwoye, also urged party members to support APC candidates in the January 16 and February 6 elections.
APM Candidate Makinde Accuses APC of Building Nigeria for the Privileged
Away from the APC rally in Ebonyi, presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Seyi Makinde, criticised the Tinubu administration, accusing the ruling party of building a country that works primarily for the privileged few.
Speaking at the APM presidential campaign rally in Jos, Plateau State, Makinde alleged that the APC had appropriated policy ideas from his party, particularly its RESET Agenda, without delivering meaningful improvements in the living conditions of Nigerians.
He questioned the government’s economic reform agenda, arguing that Nigerians were yet to experience the promised benefits of its policies.
“When we unveiled our RESET Agenda, I said in Abuja that they would soon start stealing our ideas. Now they have started. They say theirs is ‘Reform to Prosperity’. They now say they want a Nigeria that will work for everybody. What have they been doing over the past three years?” Makinde asked.
He urged voters to reject the APC in the forthcoming election, calling for a new administration that would prioritize economic recovery and inclusive development.
Makinde also identified insecurity as one of the major obstacles to Plateau State’s economic potential, promising that an APM government would prioritize security, tourism and employment opportunities.
He argued that restoring peace across the state would attract tourists, stimulate economic activities and create jobs for young people.
The party’s vice-presidential candidate, Lawal Daura, also expressed concern over the security situation in Plateau, recalling the state’s former reputation as a major tourism destination.
APM National Chairman, Yusuf Dantalle, equally criticised the Federal Government’s handling of fuel subsidy removal, questioning whether the policy had improved the welfare of Nigerians.
He argued that despite the government’s justification for removing the subsidy, households continued to struggle with rising food prices, transportation costs and other economic difficulties.
PRP Accuses APC of Undermining Opposition Ahead of 2027 Elections
In another development, the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) accused the APC of allegedly undermining opposition parties and exploiting religious and ethnic divisions to maintain political power ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In a statement issued by its National Chairman, Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, the party alleged that the ruling party was interfering in the internal affairs of opposition groups and using state institutions to frustrate their political activities.
The PRP expressed concern over what it described as growing attempts to weaken opposition parties and restrict their ability to participate effectively in the democratic process.
“It is now clear to all Nigerians that APC is putting no stops in suffocating all opposition. From clumsy attempts to interfere in internal affairs of the opposition parties, to the use of state muscle to frustrate genuine campaigns by the opposition,” the statement read.
The party also criticized what it described as the politicization of religious and ethnic differences, recalling the controversy surrounding the APC’s Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket during the 2023 general elections.
Baba-Ahmed alleged that the ruling party was exploiting divisions within the country’s diverse population instead of addressing pressing national challenges, including insecurity and economic hardship.
The PRP warned that the continued use of religion and ethnicity for political advantage could deepen divisions and undermine national unity.
The competing positions of the APC, APM and PRP highlight the increasingly intense political atmosphere ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections, with infrastructure development, economic reforms, security, national unity and the performance of the Tinubu administration emerging as major issues in the unfolding political debate.
