2027: Okechukwu charges Tinubu to tackle hunger, insecurity to boost APC chances

A founding member of the All Progressives Congress, Osita Okechukwu, has charged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to urgently tackle hunger, insecurity and unemployment as part of ongoing effort to enhance the party’s chances in the 2027 general election.

Okechukwu said the overwhelming votes recorded during the APC direct primary across the country should not be taken for granted, stressing that the outcome had placed huge responsibility on the president, APC governors and party leaders to urgently address the plight of Nigerians.

According to him, growing hunger, worsening insecurity, unemployment and poor power supply could weaken the party’s electoral fortunes if decisive action is not taken before the polls.

“My fears regarding the tall-order results are guided by many factors; among which are the history of low voter turnout, hunger in the land, palpable insecurity, gross unemployment, epileptic power supply, and the unfavourable debt-to-service-revenue-ratio (DSR),” he stated.

The former Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria noted that while the primary election reflected confidence in Tinubu’s leadership within the APC, the party must work harder to justify the massive support it received from members nationwide.

He cited voting figures from several states as evidence of the president’s popularity among party faithful, including Ogun State with 322,485 votes, Benue State with 374,787 votes, Rivers State with 280,082 votes, Delta State with 407,646 votes, Abia State with 161,005 votes and Osun State with 100,880 votes.

Okechukwu urged the president and the 31 APC governors to prioritise citizens’ welfare and security concerns, arguing that Nigerians were currently more preoccupied with survival and safety.

Drawing from Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, he maintained that economic hardship and insecurity remain the critical issues likely to shape voter behaviour in 2027.

“We have less than seven months to the D-Day general elections,” he added.

The APC chieftain nevertheless congratulated President Tinubu on emerging as the party’s presidential candidate, describing the direct primary conducted across the country’s 8,809 electoral wards as a demonstration of internal democracy and adherence to the rule of law within the ruling party.