Former member of the House of Representatives, Uko Nkole, has predicted a landslide victory for Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate Peter Obi in the 2027 general elections. Nkole, who is the NDC senatorial candidate for Abia North, cited Obi’s economic management record, national appeal, and popularity among youths as key factors positioning him to win the presidency.
Speaking during a political debate at the grand finale of the 2026 Press Week in Umuahia, organized by the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Abia State, Nkole also forecasted the defeat of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). He attributed the current hardship facing Nigerians to the economic policies of the APC.
Nkole directed specific criticism at incumbent Abia North Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, accusing him of failing to deliver meaningful development to the district. He urged Kalu to support Obi’s presidential ambition rather than President Bola Tinubu, noting that both politicians belong to the same political generation as governors of the 1999 class.
“President Bola Tinubu is his mate. They were governors of the 1999 class. It’s very wrong for him to be clapping for his mate. The challenge all of us have today is how to produce a Nigerian President of Igbo extraction, which Obi represents,” Nkole said.
In addition to his presidential endorsement, Nkole unveiled an eight-point development agenda for Abia North. His pledges include holding 20 town hall meetings annually across the five local government areas, reviving 217 primary healthcare centres, and intervening in 415 public schools. He also promised the restoration of 15 regional water schemes, completion of abandoned federal projects, and the attraction of a Federal Medical Centre.
Other candidates present at the event outlined their own platforms. Jude Udeachara, the PDP senatorial candidate for Abia North, pledged to sponsor legislation compelling mining and construction companies to rehabilitate degraded lands and to provide monthly accountability briefings to journalists. Evangeline Iwenjiora, the NDC House of Representatives candidate for Isuikwuato/Umunneochi, promised improved infrastructure and youth and women empowerment.
Chairman of the Correspondents’ Chapel, Deacon Steve Oko, used the occasion to urge the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to engage experienced journalists as ad-hoc electoral officials, such as returning officers, for the 2027 elections. He argued that journalists’ skills in observation and verification could strengthen electoral credibility and demanded real-time transmission of polling unit results. The event also featured a keynote address by Prof. Christopher Okoro, Rector of Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic, who cautioned journalists against spreading fake news, and an honour for Prof. Nnenna Oti for her conduct as a returning officer in the 2023 Abia governorship election.
<small>Source: Vanguard News — read the original story there.</small>
