By PETER ANOSIKE

A chieftain of African Democratic Congress (ADC), Nelson Ahamefula Akuma, has raised the alarm over the date of the 2027 general elections.

Speaking Friday while reacting to the National Assembly’s decision to bring down 2027 election time table from February to January by using Ramadan as an excuse, Akuma said that the real intention of the time table is to reduce the electoral impact of the Igbos in the election.

According to him, APC senators are conscious of the fact that December and January are usually the months that a lot of Igbos relocate to their villages, not just for Christmas, but for other functions, such as marriages, burials, launching of developmental projects and other functions.

Akuma said that the ruling party knows that Igbos have become the most formidable opponent of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the election because of Peter Obi’s involvement and as such whatever is possible must be done to reduce their votes.

He said apparently the ruling party has not recovered from the Obi wave of 2023 in Lagos and other places and as such is afraid of a reoccurrence in 2027.

Furthermore, he said that since 1999, general elections have always been held between February and March, adding that the announcement that the 2027 election would be done in January, beginning from either first or second Saturday to make sure it doesn’t spill over to February when lent and Ramadan are expected to commence is simply to reduce Igbo votes.

His words: “The ruling party is just trying to be clever by half. They have not gotten over the Obi wave of 2023 and want to do everything in the book and even outside the book to avoid the reoccurrence. They are aware that Igbo votes cannot be bought, so the only way out is to fix dates when Igbos would relocate to their villages which is usually during December and January for Christmas, marriages, burials and other functions.

“So, when Senator Opeyemi Bamidele moved the motion to amend the period of the election in the bill, saying that the election spilling over to Ramadan affects Muslim participation in the process, a lot of people thought that he had a good intention. Even the Muslims celebrated it.

“But we know where he is going. Elections has always been held in February and March since 1999 and Christians and Muslims have never complained. So, what is happening is simply Obi phobia, that is the fear of Peter Obi and because of that they have to launch ‘Operation Reduce Igbo Votes’. But Eneke the bird in Things Fall Apart said that since the hunter has learned how to shoot without missing, he, Eleke will learn how to fly without perching. So, I strongly believe that we would find a way around it because 2027, is now or never for Nigerians.”