Isaac Fayose, the younger brother of former governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti state, has described any Igbo man or woman who does not support Peter Obi in the 2027 presidential election as “wicked and jealous.”
Fayose, however, expressed confidence that Obi would win the 2027 presidential election with or without the support of the Igbo people.
He made the statement in a video posted on his official Facebook page on Wednesday.
Fayose, who is backing Obi, said no Igbo politician had achieved what the former Anambra State governor had achieved politically in the last 40 years, except the late Biafra leader, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu.
He particularly criticised Igbo people supporting the All Progressives Congress, APC-led government, describing such support as a betrayal of Obi.
“Any Igbo man supporting this APC government is a wicked Igbo man. When it comes to politics in Igbo land, in the last 40 years, apart from late Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, no other Igbo man has done what Peter Obi has done,” Fayose said.
He further urged Igbo voters to support Obi ahead of the 2027 election, insisting that the NDC presidential candidate would emerge victorious regardless of their decision.
“Any Igbo man that does not support Peter Obi is a wicked and jealous Igbo man. You all should know that with or without you, Obi will still win come January 2027,” he said.
Fayose’s comments came amid fresh opposition from the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, over political developments ahead of the 2027 general election.
The APGA national leadership had warned its members against supporting Obi and the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, saying such a decision would threaten the survival of the party.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, APGA National Publicity Secretary, Ejimofor Opara, said the party had taken note of recent political developments and considered it necessary to provide guidance to its members.
Opara questioned Obi’s loyalty to APGA, arguing that the party had played a major role in his political career but that he had subsequently worked against it during different electoral cycles.
“If Mr Peter Obi so loved APGA, why has he fought so hard against APGA in every electoral cycle?” Opara asked.
He also questioned why Obi allegedly had candidates lined up against APGA whenever the party was contesting for political positions.
“APGA made Peter Obi, yet Peter Obi wants to destroy APGA. Why?” he said.
APGA consequently urged its members not to support Obi and the NDC in the 2027 election, declaring that “a vote for Peter Obi and the NDC is a vote to kill APGA.”
The party also denied having any formal or informal agreement with the NDC on power-sharing, describing the NDC as a “special purpose vehicle” while insisting that APGA remained an established political party.
APGA further defended its decision to support President Bola Tinubu, saying the position was based on the administration’s alleged commitment to infrastructural development in the South-East.
The party claimed that Tinubu had demonstrated greater commitment to infrastructure in the region than any other government since Nigeria returned to democratic rule in 1999.
APGA therefore urged its members to remain loyal to the party, stressing that “Anambra is APGA” and that defending its political stronghold remained in the party’s best interest.
Obi served as governor of Anambra from March 2006 to March 2014. He formally left APGA in October 2014 and joined the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
He later left the PDP in May 2022 to contest the 2023 presidential election under the Labour Party.
