The South East region of Nigeria has long been excluded from the center of federal power, resulting in a lack of infrastructure, capital, and federal inclusion. For 12 years, the region has been in opposition politics, but this has not yielded the desired results. An opinion piece has argued that the region should vote for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027 as a strategic move to secure development. This is based on the premise that strategic alignment with the governing coalition has already started producing tangible results.
A review of past elections reveals that the South East region's loyalty to a particular party has not translated into federal capital expenditure. In 1999, the region gave Olusegun Obasanjo 3.2 million votes, but the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway remained in a state of disrepair for over a decade. Similarly, in 2011, Goodluck Jonathan received 4,985,246 votes from the South East, but the Second Niger Bridge, proposed in the 1970s, did not open until December 2022. This pattern suggests that emotional loyalty to a party outside power does not guarantee development.
The 2015 and 2023 elections exposed the cost of backing losing candidates and remaining outside the governing coalition. In 2015, the South East gave Jonathan 7.5 million votes, but Muhammadu Buhari won the presidency and the region spent the next eight years feeling politically neglected. In 2023, the region voted almost monolithically for Peter Obi, but the Labour Party could not win the presidency nationally. This experience highlights the importance of participating in the coalition that determines federal priorities.
President Tinubu's record on infrastructure development in the South East region is a key consideration. The Second Niger Bridge access roads are a notable milestone, with Phase 2A and Phase 2B flagged off in March 2025. The 112-kilometer Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway is also under reconstruction, with significant progress reported by late 2025. Additionally, the administration is pursuing a wider network of strategic projects across the South East, including the Onitsha-Owerri Road and the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway.
The Tinubu administration has also made significant investments in rail and aviation infrastructure. The Port Harcourt-Aba narrow-gauge line began commercial passenger service in May 2024, and a $3 billion reconstruction of the full Eastern Rail Corridor has been approved. The concession of Enugu's Akanu Ibiam International Airport to private operators is another federal move affirmed by South East governors. These investments are expected to have a positive impact on the region's economy and development.
The establishment of the South East Development Commission (SEDC) is another significant development in the region. President Tinubu signed the SEDC Act into law on July 24, 2024, and inaugurated its governing board on February 12, 2025. The commission has been funded at N140 billion in the 2025 and 2026 budgets and has already launched a Venture Capital Programme and a "South East Vision 2050" planning process. The SEDC is expected to play a crucial role in addressing the region's infrastructure gap.
Key points
- The South East region needs to make a strategic decision about its voting pattern in the 2027 election.
- President Tinubu's record on infrastructure development in the South East region is a key consideration for voters.
- The establishment of the South East Development Commission is a significant development in the region.
