“Support Tinubu or Miss Out on Federal Benefits” — Ganduje, Orji Kalu Warn South East
Date: June 1, 2025 | Byline: IDNN Federal Influence & Zonal Equity Desk
ABUJA — Top All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders, Abdullahi Ganduje and Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, have warned the South East that unless the region aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s government, it will continue to lose out on federal appointments, infrastructure projects, and economic inclusion.
The warning, issued during a high-level APC reconciliation meeting in Abuja, has triggered accusations of political blackmail and zonal exclusion.
“The South East cannot keep standing aloof and expect to be rewarded. You must vote where the center of power sits if you want to benefit,” Ganduje reportedly told a room of party stakeholders.
The “Come Inside or Stay Outside” Doctrine
Ganduje, the APC National Chairman, argued that democracy rewards alignment, not abstention. He criticized the zone’s overwhelming support for opposition candidates in 2023, particularly Peter Obi’s Labour Party, calling it a strategic blunder.
Senator Orji Uzor Kalu added:
“If we don’t come together as a region and support President Tinubu in 2027, we will not be part of the national cake. No one dashes political power—you earn it.”
Critics Fire Back: “This Is Federal Blackmail”
Opposition voices, including PDP’s Ike Ekweremadu Jnr., have condemned the remarks as a veiled threat:
“So we only get roads, hospitals, and jobs if we praise the president? That’s not democracy. That’s conditional governance.”
Civil society group YIAGA Africa also weighed in:
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Calling the remarks “undemocratic and dangerous”
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Warning it could further alienate young voters and deepen zonal distrust
South East by the Numbers
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5 South East states gave 85% of 2023 votes to Obi
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Tinubu received less than 10% regionally
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As of mid-2025, the region has no key cabinet position
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Over ₦300 billion in federal roads and housing projects were redirected to other zones, according to IDNN analysis
Tinubu’s Silent Calculation?
Analysts suggest Tinubu may be tactically starving the South East of influence to pressure political realignment ahead of 2027—hoping to break the LP-PDP grip by dangling economic carrots.
“What Ganduje is saying out loud, Tinubu may already be executing quietly,” said public affairs analyst Damilola Ogunleye.
