2027: Imo APC chairman vows to ‘fight like wounded lion’ to deliver Tinubu

The Imo State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Austin Onyedebelu, has declared that the party will “fight like a wounded lion” to deliver President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.

Onyedebelu said the ruling party in Imo would not approach the next election casually, warning APC officials across the state that they would be held responsible for the party’s performance in their respective areas.

He spoke during a stakeholders’ meeting between the State Working Committee of the APC and party officials from the nine local government areas and 105 wards in Owerri Zone.

The meeting was attended by LGA executives, ward executives, elected council chairmen, councillors and other party officials.

Addressing the gathering, Onyedebelu said the APC must go into the 2027 elections united, disciplined and fully prepared to deliver victory for Tinubu and all candidates of the party in the state.

He warned party officials against waiting until after the election to explain failure, saying any issue capable of weakening the party must be raised and addressed now.

“If you lose our votes, we are going to hold you responsible. Don’t tell us why you failed after the election,” he said.

“Tell us now what will make you fail so we can address it. If there is anything or any leader that will sabotage our efforts, you must tell us now for us to address it.”

The APC chairman said the party would rely on genuine grassroots mobilisation, not shortcuts, to win the next election.

According to him, real votes remain the only reliable route to victory, and the party cannot achieve that without unity among leaders, ward officers and local government structures.

Onyedebelu also warned members against anti-party activities, saying those who betray their party for the opposition should not expect to benefit when the opposition shares the rewards of victory.

“If you support the opposition to win against your party, when they begin to share the proceeds of victory, they will first reward their own party members before remembering you,” he said.

He described the 2027 general elections as a defining moment for Owerri Zone, especially in its aspiration to produce the next governor of Imo State.

Earlier, the APC State Secretary, Onyekachi Ibezim, said the meeting was called to allow the State Working Committee engage directly with party executives at the LGA and ward levels ahead of the 2027 contest.

Ibezim said grassroots officers remain the engine room of the party and would play a decisive role in whether the APC succeeds or fails in the coming elections.

Responding on behalf of Owerri Zone, the APC State Vice Chairman for the zone, Justus Ogu, assured the State Working Committee that the zone would not disappoint the party.

He said Owerri Zone would work to deliver APC candidates from the presidency down to the State House of Assembly.

The meeting signals the beginning of an early mobilisation push by the Imo APC, with the party leadership making it clear that loyalty, unity and vote delivery will determine its strength going into 2027.