The National Vice Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the South-East, Dr. Ijeomah Arodiogbu, has called for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027, citing measurable progress in Nigeria’s non-oil economy, infrastructure delivery, and inclusive governance as key reasons.
Dr. Arodiogbu’s position aligns with recent National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) data showing sustained non-oil sector expansion. In the second quarter of 2026, Nigeria’s real GDP grew by 4.43% year-on-year, up from 4.23% in Q2 2025. The non-oil sector expanded by 4.31% in real terms higher than the 3.64% recorded in the same quarter of 2025 and the 3.94% in Q1 2026. It accounted for 95.84% of real GDP in Q2 2026.
Key drivers of non-oil growth included crop production in agriculture, telecommunications, real estate, trade, financial institutions, cement manufacturing, and construction. Agriculture grew 4.39% in the quarter, while services expanded 4.60%.
Non-oil exports also strengthened, with 2025 non-oil export earnings exceeding $6 billion, and non-crude exports surpassing crude oil export values in Q2 2026 for the first time in available records. Non-oil tax revenue has risen sharply, contributing the bulk of improved federal collections.
Dr. Arodiogbu has repeatedly framed these outcomes as evidence of deliberate policy. In earlier comments, he noted that the administration’s reforms including subsidy removal and exchange-rate unification were painful but necessary, and that the economy was “on a recovery trajectory.” He has highlighted an enabling environment for commerce and manufacturing, sectors central to South-East enterprise.
In one interview, he shared testimonies from associates: a pharmaceutical manufacturer who described unprecedented encouragement from the federal government, and an agribusiness operator who said the support received was “the type of encouragement they have not seen before.”
He has also pointed to micro and informal-sector gains. Defending the First Lady’s empowerment of petty traders, Arodiogbu recounted that his own mother fried akara to fund his education, stating that such daily-income activities form the backbone of household resilience and the broader economy.
On the South-East specifically, Arodiogbu has linked federal infrastructure investments road dualisations, revival of the Eastern rail corridor, airport upgrades, and the South-East Development Commission to a reciprocal political commitment.
In a communiqué after a stakeholders’ meeting, he declared the region’s “unalloyed, total and unwavering support” for Tinubu as the APC’s sole presidential candidate in 2027, describing the projects as a break from past marginalisation. He has stated that the zone will deliver bloc votes in recognition of these dividends.
Arodiogbu has emphasised that the APC’s 2027 campaign will rest on verifiable results rather than name-calling: “We are campaigning with positive results of President Tinubu’s policies, not name-calling. Nigerians deserve to hear what has been achieved.” He has consistently argued that continued partnership with the federal government offers the South-East greater opportunities for development and inclusion.
Independent economic assessments note that non-oil activity now dominates output and that fiscal reforms have broadened the revenue base away from crude dependence. President Tinubu himself has stated that Nigeria has already reduced reliance on oil revenue and is building a diversified economy powered by agriculture, manufacturing, digital, and creative industries.
Dr. Arodiogbu’s call for re-election rests on this combination of official growth data, sectoral testimonies from business operators, infrastructure delivery in the South-East, and the argument that the reforms underway require continuity to fully mature.
