2027: Forum of former Southern legislators endorses Tinubu

The Southern Forum of former legislators at the local, state, and federal levels across the 17 southern states of the federation has adopted President Bola Tinubu as its sole presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.

This was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of the forum’s summit held in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, on Saturday.

The theme of the summit was “National Unity: Bedrock for Nation Building.”

The Attorney General of Edo State, Mr. Samson Osagie, who read the communiqué on behalf of the forum, lauded President Tinubu’s achievements, particularly his innovative reforms, such as the establishment of Regional Development Commissions, local government autonomy, the students’ loan scheme, and the deregulation of electricity.

Those in attendance included the National Coordinator of the forum, Raphael Igbokwe; former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, who chaired the summit; former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mrs. Patricia Etteh; former Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba; Coordinator of the Forum of Former Northern Legislators, Rufai Chachangi; former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara; and Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State, alongside other serving and former lawmakers.

The forum said its adoption of Tinubu as the sole presidential candidate was based on the need to promote equity, fairness, and the unity of the country.

The communiqué reads:
“We commend the patriotic courage of our colleagues from the Northern Caucus in calling for the South to complete its tenure of leadership of the country.
We affirm that it is the turn of the South to complete its tenure. We posit that it is in the best interest of the South and the nation that the incumbent, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, completes the tenure of the South.
Accordingly, we adopt him as the sole candidate of the South. We call on the South to support the North in 2031 to take up their tenure of leadership of our dear country.
We call on all Nigerians to pursue this course to promote national unity and strengthen the foundation of nation-building.”

The National Convener of the forum, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, urged Nigerians to support Tinubu’s ambition to return to office for a second term so as to consolidate on the successes of the present administration.

Gbajabiamila, who is the Chief of Staff to the President, described his boss as an exceptional and generational leader who has taken bold steps towards building a prosperous nation.

He stressed that nation-building should not be left to government alone, noting that Nigerians must work together to achieve a country everyone can be proud of.

The former Speaker of the House of Representatives also emphasised the need for unity, describing it as the bedrock of any progressive and prosperous nation.

Citing economic progress, Gbajabiamila noted that foreign portfolio investment flows increased significantly, hitting US$5.46 billion in the first quarter of 2025, representing a 67 percent rise.

“According to the World Bank’s Nigeria Development Update (NDU) titled Building Momentum for Inclusive Growth, Nigeria’s economy expanded by 4.6% year-on-year in the final quarter of 2024, pushing annual growth to 3.4%—its fastest pace in a decade.
Nigeria’s fiscal deficit narrowed sharply from 5.4% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2023 to 3.0% in 2024, driven by a surge in Federation revenues, which rose from ₦16.8 trillion (7.2% of GDP) in 2023 to an estimated ₦31.9 trillion (11.5% of GDP) in 2024,” he said.

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Gbajabiamila further called on Nigerians to embrace unity, see each other as one, and rally around President Tinubu, who, he said, has demonstrated the capacity to build a better Nigeria beyond 2027.

He added:
“The argument for the Southwest in the South to complete their eight years has been canvassed. The argument for President Tinubu to complete his eight years has been made loud and clear. I am in support of this call because it cannot be faulted.
So, for the sake of unity, equity, and fairness, President Tinubu deserves another term. Beyond this argument, the President is also taking bold and daring steps to reset the nation for a greater tomorrow and therefore deserves the support of all Nigerians to complete this good work.”

In his remarks, former Senate President Ken Nnamani welcomed the former legislators to the summit, lauded the initiative, and urged them to continue to rally support for a united Nigeria.

Similarly, Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, described President Tinubu as a visionary leader embarking on much-needed reforms that are already positioning the country for greater heights.

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