Tinubu Had 8.7 Million Votes. 5.3 Of That 8.7 Was From North. That North Is Not With Him Now —Udensi

Sir Chikwe Udensi has argued that President Bola Tinubu’s 2023 electoral success relied heavily on northern votes but believes the region’s political support has shifted, creating uncertainty ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

In an interview with Symfoni TV, Udensi made this analysis while responding to questions about how Tinubu might fare against potential challengers such as Atiku Abubakar in the next election cycle.

He cautioned that the ruling party risks miscalculating the political value of governors defecting into the APC, stressing that gubernatorial support does not automatically translate into electoral victories at the presidential level.

He illustrated by citing the 2023 election results in Kaduna and Abia states. He noted that despite strong support for Tinubu from a prominent northern governor, Atiku still secured victory in Kaduna. Similarly, in Abia State, the governor supported Atiku, yet Peter Obi won there.

He used these examples to argue that voters often make independent choices regardless of whom the governors endorse. Udensi argued that the same northern bloc that supported Tinubu in 2023 no longer offers the same level of political support today. He attributed this shift to the painful impact of Tinubu’s economic reforms.

In his words, “Let me give you information. Tinubu had about 8.7 million votes. 5.3 of that 8.7 was from the north. That north is not with him right now. That’s the truth. If anybody has to tell him that’s the truth, that north is not essentially with him.”

“Don’t mind those governors. The major north is not essentially with him. Not because he hasn’t done any good job. But the reforms come with some pain, which our people are not willing to take…. Discover More