A youth group from Nigeria's Middle Belt has declared support for President Bola Tinubu's 2027 re-election bid, after backing Peter Obi in 2023.

What was announced

Aviation businessman Isaac Balami, who convenes the National Rebirth Movement and is also a national director in the pro-Tinubu City Boy Movement, said in remarks reported on Saturday, 7 November 2026, that the initiative was inspired by a recent meeting between the President and a delegation of Middle Belt elders led by former defence minister General Theophilus Danjuma. He said the youths had listened to their elders and decided to take responsibility for the region's political future. Balami said he had earlier led the group to meet the President's son, Seyi Tinubu, where they pledged 10 million votes from the Middle Belt.

A change of side

In 2023, Balami and the same group had reportedly been asked by some of the same elders to mobilise support for Obi, then the Labour Party candidate, who performed strongly in Plateau and Nasarawa states and drew large youth support across the North Central zone. Balami said a sense of abandonment after that election led to the change. The group says it will work with the City Boy Movement and the APC campaign council.

Background

Obi is now the candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), with Rabiu Kwankwaso as his running mate. Both the APC and the opposition parties are campaigning hard in the North Central, which is seen as a key battleground. The presidential election is scheduled for 16 January 2027.

Reactions

Obi's campaign had not publicly responded at the time of writing. The 10 million figure is a pledge and cannot be independently verified.

The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has formally endorsed President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as its preferred candidate for the 2027 presidential election.

What was announced

Anambra State governor Charles Soludo, the party's national leader, announced the decision in Awka on Friday, 6 November 2026, at the inauguration of APGA's national campaign for the 2027 elections, according to reports. He said the party would not field its own presidential candidate. Soludo argued that Tinubu had shown genuine care for the Igbo people, particularly people from Anambra, pointing out that the President appointed several Anambra indigenes to key positions in Lagos when he was governor of that state.

Target of 50%

Soludo acknowledged that Tinubu received only about 5,000 votes in Anambra in the 2023 presidential election, but said the President had still moved to address problems in the state and the wider South-East. He pledged to deliver half of Anambra's votes to Tinubu in 2027, describing the endorsement as a strategic move to strengthen the state's bargaining power with the federal government. He also said APGA had backed the ruling party's presidential candidate in past elections, so the decision continued that pattern.

Background

APGA is the governing party in Anambra, which is also the home state of NDC presidential candidate Peter Obi, a former APGA governor who won the state by a wide margin in 2023. Soludo has previously described Obi as a close family friend while declaring support for Tinubu, and he has been named a state coordinator in the President's expanded campaign council. This week the NDC's Anambra chapter set a target of 98 per cent of the state's votes for Obi.

What happens next

The presidential election is scheduled for 16 January 2027, and APGA is expected to campaign for the President alongside its own candidates for other offices.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved a request linked to the long-awaited Ibom Deep Seaport, announcing the decision while addressing supporters at his presidential campaign rally in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

"I look, and I approve it"

Speaking from the podium, flanked by party leaders and security officials, Tinubu told the crowd that the state's leadership had brought a request to him.

"Now your leader makes a request, for international export status. I look, and I approve it," he said, to cheers from supporters.

The Ibom Deep Seaport has been one of Akwa Ibom's biggest ambitions for years, with successive state governments pushing for it as a way to open the state to international trade and create jobs.

Promises of jobs and skills

Tinubu also used the occasion to make several promises about the state's economic future.

"I promise you skill development. I promise you jobs," he said. "We are going to plant a lot of economic trees."

He pointed to the palm tree, a major part of the region's economy, as an opportunity. "There is no reason why we cannot use the value of palm trees and the palm here," he said, adding that there was no reason the country could not create skills development that is "everlasting".

"Development must be even"

The President said growth must reach every part of the country. "Development must be even, inclusive and reasonable. It must bring progress and create economic value," he said.

What it means

If the approval leads to real progress on the seaport, it could be a major boost for Akwa Ibom's economy, bringing shipping, logistics and related businesses to the state.

But campaign promises are easy to make at rallies. Nigerians will be watching to see whether the approval is followed by funding, construction and the jobs that have been promised.

Over to you

Is Tinubu's approval of the Ibom Deep Seaport request a genuine step forward for Akwa Ibom, or just another campaign promise ahead of 2027?

It was an emotional scene at the Trade Fair International Market in Lagos as former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi, the NDC presidential candidate and Labour Party candidate in the 2023 election, arrived to pay his last respects to the late Chief Sir Okey Ezibe, popularly known as Omeluora.

Chief Ezibe, widely regarded as one of the founding fathers of the famous Balogun Market in Lagos, was honoured by traders, associates, friends and well-wishers who gathered to celebrate his life and his contribution to commerce.

"My leader! My leader!"

Something remarkable happened when Obi arrived. The atmosphere suddenly changed. Traders stepped away from their businesses, and a large crowd gathered around him, cheering and calling out, "My leader! My leader!"

Many raised their phones to capture the moment, while members of his team, wearing T-shirts printed with "Rest in Peace Omeluora", waved to the crowd from his car.

For those watching, the reception was another reminder of the strong support Obi continues to enjoy among sections of the trading community, particularly in Lagos. He had come for a solemn occasion, yet his presence drew the kind of attention usually seen at major political gatherings.

Who was Chief Okey Ezibe (Omeluora)?

To many traders, the late Chief Sir Okey Ezibe was more than a successful businessman. He was a respected figure whose contributions helped shape the business community around Balogun Market, one of Nigeria's busiest commercial centres.

For years, Balogun Market has provided opportunities for thousands of traders, importers, wholesalers and small business owners. People like Omeluora are remembered for building business networks, encouraging younger entrepreneurs and strengthening the trading community. His passing marks the loss of a respected figure in that community.

Obi's reception gets people talking

Despite the disagreements and controversies that surround Nigerian politics, Obi still draws enthusiastic crowds in parts of the country, and the scenes at Trade Fair appeared to reflect that connection.

Some will see the reception as a sign of his political popularity ahead of the 2027 general election. Others may simply see it as a warm welcome for a familiar public figure attending the funeral of a respected businessman.

Whatever the interpretation, the excitement around his arrival became one of the memorable moments of the day.

Remembering Omeluora

Beyond the cheers and the political talk, the gathering was ultimately about remembering Chief Okey Ezibe and the legacy he left behind.

A man can build wealth, businesses and influence in his lifetime, but what people say about him after his death often tells another story. For Omeluora, the respect shown by the trading community speaks to the place he held in their lives.

Rest in peace, Omeluora. A great iroko has fallen. His name will continue to be remembered among those who helped commerce grow in Lagos.

Over to you

Is the reception Peter Obi received at Lagos Trade Fair another sign of his political strength ahead of 2027, or was it simply a show of respect from traders? Share your thoughts.