A group identified as the North-East Forum has expressed support for the Imo State Governor and Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF), Senator Hope Uzodinma, describing his role in the affairs of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as important to the party’s mobilisation ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The forum, in a statement made available to journalists, said Uzodinma had demonstrated commitment to strengthening cooperation among APC stakeholders and promoting the party’s programmes across the country.
In the statement signed by Secretary of the Forum, Alhaji Mala Suleiman ,the development comes amid renewed political activities ahead of the 2027 elections and recent exchanges involving Uzodinma and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
Wike recently accused Uzodinma and Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of working against him politically. Wike said he had differences with the two governors over political developments and his efforts to mobilise support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election.
The North-East Forum, however, said its support for Uzodinma was based on what it described as his contribution to political engagement, party cohesion and the mobilisation of stakeholders.
Uzodinma currently chairs the PGF, the platform through which APC governors coordinate on issues affecting the party and governance. The forum’s leadership status was reaffirmed earlier this year after reports circulated claiming that he had been removed. The PGF subsequently described the report as false and stated that Uzodinma remained its chairman.
The Imo governor has also assumed a prominent role in the APC’s 2027 mobilisation structure. In August, the APC Presidential Campaign Council announced former Zamfara State Governor Abdulaziz Yari as Director-General, with Uzodinma named Secretary of the council.
The North-East Forum said Uzodinma’s involvement in national political coordination demonstrated the importance of building bridges across Nigeria’s geopolitical zones.
It urged APC stakeholders in the North-East to remain focused on issues of development, security, economic opportunities and political stability rather than allowing disagreements among individual politicians to distract from broader national objectives.
The forum also called for constructive political engagement among leaders, saying disagreements were part of democratic politics but should not undermine national cohesion.
Uzodinma has in recent months participated in several APC mobilisation activities. At a South-South Strategic Communications and Mobilisation Summit in Asaba, he called for unity of purpose, a common message and coordinated grassroots mobilisation. He argued that government policies and reforms needed to be communicated effectively to citizens at the grassroots.
The governor has also defended the Tinubu administration’s economic reforms, including the removal of fuel subsidy and foreign-exchange reforms, arguing that the measures were intended to address longstanding structural problems in the Nigerian economy.
While the forum’s intervention comes against the backdrop of political disagreements within and around the APC, it said its position should be viewed as an expression of support for Uzodinma’s political engagement and not as a call for confrontation with any individual or group.
It appealed to political leaders across the country to prioritise dialogue and issue-based engagement as preparations for the 2027 elections intensify.
