Abuja, Dec. 16, 2025 (Naija247news) – Prince Paul Ikonne, a senior chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), on Tuesday rejected Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe’s recent challenge to the legitimacy of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s victory in the 2023 presidential election, describing it as a product of political mischief and desperation ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking on TVC’s morning programme, This Morning, Ikonne, who previously served as Executive Secretary of the National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA), argued that Abaribe’s claims reflect the growing panic among opposition parties, particularly in the Southeast. He dismissed the Abia South Senator’s assertion that Tinubu could not secure another victory in 2027, insisting that the 2023 election was decisive, legitimate, and widely supported across regions, ethnic groups, and political interests.
Ikonne criticized Abaribe for lacking the moral standing to question the President’s electoral strength, noting that the senator had become disconnected from grassroots realities in Abia State. “If you know Senator Abaribe very well, you will realize he is always seeking attention. This is a man who did not win his own election in 2023; a young man defeated him, and the tribunal filings speak for themselves,” Ikonne said.
The APC leader further claimed that opposition parties were in disarray in the Southeast, pointing to widespread defections from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). “As we speak, about 90 per cent of the PDP structure in the South-East has collapsed into the APC,” he said, predicting what he called an ‘Asiwaju tsunami’ in 2027.
Addressing concerns over Tinubu’s performance in Abia State, Ikonne highlighted federal interventions under the Renewed Hope Agenda, including infrastructure projects like the Enugu–Port Harcourt Expressway rehabilitationand agricultural and social investment programmes, which he argued have reshaped public perception of the APC in the region.
He also dismissed claims that Nigeria is drifting toward a one-party state, insisting that defections from the PDP, Labour Party, APGA, and other platforms are motivated by performance and popular appeal, rather than coercion. “Even the blind and deaf can see that Nigeria is developing rapidly under President Tinubu,” he stated. “It is not about a one-party state; it is about building a strong platform that delivers results.”
On party politics in the Southeast, Ikonne declared that the region has become a stronghold of the APC, while leaving the door open for others to join the ruling party. “For those who have seen the light, the door is open. For those who have not, we wish them well,” he concluded
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Godwin Okafor is the Publisher & CEO of Naija247news Media Group LLC, an independent investigative news platform delivering accurate, data-driven reporting on Nigerian and global politics, economy, finance, and business. Founded in October 2010, Naija247news specializes in developmental journalism, providing timely insights and analysis to readers across Nigeria and the diaspora.
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