The Ndigbo for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu 2027 Forum (NDI-ABAT) has called on Seyi Tinubu, Convener of the City Boy Movement, to intensify political engagement in the Southeast ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

The group urged Seyi Tinubu to move beyond consultations in Abuja and engage directly with influential stakeholders across the Southeast to strengthen relations between the Igbo people, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC).

In a statement dated November 1, 2026, and signed by its National Coordinator, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, and Secretary-General, Dr Uvwuoke Ugwuoke Jr., NDI-ABAT said the APC needed a different political approach to improve its electoral support in the region.

The group declared that “the Southeast cannot be won from Abuja”, stressing that meaningful political engagement with the people was necessary to address longstanding concerns about political inclusion and representation.

According to NDI-ABAT, the APC’s inability to secure the presidential vote in the Southeast during the 2015, 2019 and 2023 elections should serve as a lesson for the party ahead of the next general election.

It argued that the party could not expect a different electoral outcome by repeating previous political strategies without addressing the concerns and expectations of the people.

The forum specifically urged Seyi Tinubu to serve as a bridge between the Presidency and the Southeast by reaching out to traditional rulers, respected political leaders, community stakeholders and grassroots organisations, including those who have reservations about the APC’s leadership in the region.

NDI-ABAT also expressed concern over disagreements, internal rivalries and divisions among APC leaders in the Southeast, warning that a lack of unity and effective coordination could affect the party’s political mobilisation ahead of 2027.

The organisation said its partnership with the City Boy Movement should go beyond public appearances and ceremonial meetings, calling for practical grassroots engagement and sustained consultations with stakeholders across the region.

It further disclosed that it had developed a strategic framework for engaging political and community stakeholders, rebuilding confidence and strengthening support for President Tinubu in the Southeast.

The group expressed its readiness to work with Seyi Tinubu and the City Boy Movement to implement the proposed strategy.

“We are not asking for another political visit or ceremonial meeting. We are calling for sustained engagement, honest conversations and practical action that will address the concerns of Ndigbo,” the statement said.

NDI-ABAT maintained that winning the confidence of the people would require consistent engagement, respect and a genuine sense of inclusion in the national political process.

The forum also described the 2027 presidential election as an opportunity for President Tinubu and the APC to improve their electoral fortunes in the Southeast, adding that the City Boy Movement could play a role through what it described as inclusive political engagement.

“The Southeast cannot be won by political assumptions. It must be won through trust, respect and meaningful engagement. The time to build that bridge is now,” the group stated.

The statement was signed by Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, National Coordinator of NDI-ABAT, and Dr Uvwuoke Ugwuoke Jr., Secretary-General of the organisation.

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