A coalition of South East Village Boys (SEVB) , South East Electricity Consumers Association (SEECA) and South East Equity Group (SEEG), has formally endorsed Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi and Enugu State governorship candidate, Chinyeaka Ohaa as their sole presidential and governorship candidates respectively, for the 2027 ‍general elections.

At a strategic meeting of the three socio-political and Advocacy groups held in Enugu at the weekend, Coordinator of the Coalition, Rev Okechukwu Obioha, stated that they would do all in their ability to ensure victory for the candidates in the coming elections.

The meeting attended by representatives of the various groups drawn from the southeast was held to review the socio-economic state of the nation and the region.

Obioha stated that the coalition’s decision to narrow down its support to specific candidates was borne out of a thorough evaluation of the track records, equity’s, and the pressing need for effective leadership at both the federal and state levels.

“We had meetings and felt like, look, there are reasons why we should be specific now that we are in the selection cycle, and to narrow down on particular candidates now”, he said

Reiterating the coalition’s stance on national equity, Obioha emphasised that justice and fairness demands that the South East produced the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, noting that the region had been excluded from executive power since the nation’s independence in 1960.

“The South East has never had the executive powers of this country to lead this country, either as a Prime Minister or as a President. So we feel that it is our turn,” he stated.

He asserted that the geopolitical zone seeks a single four-year term in the executive office to restore balance to the country’s power-sharing arrangement between the North and the South, after which power would rotate back to the Northern region in line with established conventions: “Give us four years… We don’t want to stop the cycle—the North and the South whatever sharing the power formula.”

Explaining the structure of the endorsing groups, Obioha clarified that the “South East Village Boys” represents the collective vigor, energy, and drive of the electorate across rural communities, encompassing both men and women who are determined to bring about a positive structural change in the polity.

“By ‘boys,’ we mean the strength and energy that exists into a man or a boy. So it does include both male and female… if you are ready and poised for a change, for the new Nigeria,” Obioha explained.

He criticised the performance of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, alleging that the administration has failed to deliver on its key campaign promises, particularly regarding national economic stability and public infrastructure.

Speaking further on Tinubu’s administration, he added “He took something, a package that he doesn’t know the content of the package… he couldn’t… he doesn’t have the capacity to be able to, you know, decipher and use the materials that are in that package… That’s why Nigeria is wobbling the way they are wobbling.”

Focusing on the power sector, Obioha recalled President Tinubu’s previous assurances to resolve the nation’s energy crisis, stating that electricity supply across the South East and the nation had worsened, leaving households and businesses in severe darkness. “Rather we are now electrically—I mean, in terms of electricity, we are kwashiorkor-ridden.

Nobody… In fact, we are in more darkness now than when Tinubu made that statement, of effective power supply” Obioha remarked.

He noted that the coalition’s political interest is fundamentally tied to governance that delivers basic infrastructure, declaring that energy security remains the cornerstone of socio-economic development for every household in the South East region.

“Governance is about light. It’s about getting somebody who will give you what you want,” he stressed.

Obioha praised Peter Obi, for proposing a realistic power sector strategy centered on generating, transmitting, and distributing 10,000 megawatts of electricity to revive the nation’s industrial base.

Turning to Enugu State politics, he expressed disappointment over Governor Peter Mbah’s alignment with the APC, describing the move as a major political misstep that runs counter to the prevailing sentiments of the South East populace.

“He’s getting into a leprosy, kwashiorkor-ridden, and sickle cell anemia political party led by Tinubu, which the Igbos will not… He’s made a blunder. He made a mistake. It’s really unfortunate,” Obioha said.

While acknowledging the current administration’s initial steps in enacting a state electricity regulatory framework following the amendment of the 2023 Electricity Act, Obioha held that the state has failed to fully harness its available human resource capacity in the power sector.

He highlighted that Enugu State is home to prominent power sector figures, including former Ministers of Power, Prof. Barth Nnaji and Peof Chinedu Nebo, whose expertise should have been aggressively leveraged to achieve rapid energy self-sufficiency for the state.

The coalition emphasised the candidacy of Chinyeaka Ohaa, pointing to his public service background as a former Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Power as a vital asset that equips him with the requisite experience to tackle Enugu’s infrastructure deficit. “What is he doing there as a former permanent secretary of power, Federal Ministry of Power? Why wouldn’t he have brought him… to make sure that there’s light?” Obioha questioned.

He added that the alignment of Peter Obi at the federal level and Chinyeaka Ohaa at the state level under the NDC platform presents the most viable synergy to deliver sustainable development, economic revival, and uninterrupted power supply to the South East.

Earlier, National Chairman of the South East Village Boys, Chief Maxi Okwu, urged Nigerians to participate fully in the 2027 general elections by ensuring they voted.

He stated that voting out bad leadership was the only way to liberate the country, stressing that Obi’s public records were good enough to lead the country for the better. (Guardian)