The South-East youth coalition says the region has not endorsed any presidential candidate for 2027, insisting voters will decide independently

The Coalition of South East Youth Leaders (COSEYL) has rejected claims that the South-East has endorsed President Bola Tinubu for re-election in 2027, insisting that no presidential candidate or political party has received the region’s collective backing.

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The apex socio-political youth group in the South-East made its position known on Tuesday in response to comments attributed to Imo State Governor and Chairman of the South-East Governors’ Forum, Senator Hope Uzodimma, who reportedly said the region’s governors had resolved to support President Tinubu’s bid for a second term.

Uzodimma made the remarks during a meeting with members of the Imo State Council of Elders and the State Traditional Rulers Council at the Government House in Owerri.

The governor reportedly based the decision on what he described as the tangible developmental achievements of the Tinubu administration in the South-East.

However, in a statement issued on Tuesday, COSEYL President-General, Goodluck Ibem, described the reported endorsement as a personal political position that could not be presented as the collective decision of the region.

COSEYL said no governor, regardless of political office or affiliation, had the constitutional, political or moral authority to commit the votes of millions of South-East residents to a particular presidential candidate.

“COSEYL wishes to state unequivocally that Governor Uzodimma’s declaration is his personal political opinion and that of any governor who chooses to associate with it. It is neither the collective position nor the mandate of the people of the South-East,” Ibem said.

The group maintained that the South-East had yet to take a collective position on the 2027 presidential election and had not endorsed any candidate, political party or political arrangement.

“The South-East has not taken any position on the 2027 presidential election. The region has not endorsed any candidate, political party or political arrangement,” the statement said.

COSEYL argued that voters should be allowed to assess presidential aspirants independently when the election approaches, based on issues including competence, justice, equity, national inclusion, security and economic performance.

The group also called for greater attention to what it described as the legitimate aspirations of Ndigbo and Nigerians generally, saying political choices should be determined by citizens rather than imposed through declarations by political office holders.

It further warned political leaders against creating the impression that the South-East had surrendered its democratic right to negotiate and determine its political future.

“The era when a handful of political office holders presumed they could dictate the democratic choices of millions of citizens is over,” COSEYL said.

The group’s reaction highlights the growing political debate over the 2027 presidential election and the question of who can legitimately speak for the South-East, a region whose voting patterns and political alliances are expected to remain a significant factor in the contest.

COSEYL stressed that while individual governors retained the constitutional right to support candidates of their choice, such decisions should not automatically be presented as the collective position of an entire geopolitical zone.

“While every governor has the constitutional right to support any presidential candidate of his choice, that right remains strictly personal and political. It must not be presented as the collective decision of an entire region without consultation or the consent of the people,” the group said.

The youth coalition urged political parties and presidential aspirants seeking support from the South-East to engage directly with residents and communities across the region.

It called for political engagement based on sincerity, respect and concrete policy proposals rather than reliance on endorsements by political elites.

The group also urged South-East residents to remain vigilant and united as political activities surrounding the 2027 election gather momentum.

“We urge the good people of the South-East to remain vigilant, united and resolute. No individual or group should assume the authority to negotiate away the political future of our people,” COSEYL said.

The disagreement underscores an important distinction in Nigeria’s electoral politics: while political leaders can publicly declare their personal preferences and seek to influence voters, constitutional authority over elections ultimately rests with individual citizens exercising their franchise.

With the 2027 presidential contest still ahead, the COSEYL Tinubu endorsement controversy is likely to fuel further debate over political representation in the South-East and whether regional leaders can legitimately speak on behalf of voters across the five states.

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For now, COSEYL’s position is that the South-East remains politically open, with voters expected to make their own choices after assessing the candidates, their policies and their commitments to the region and the wider country.