A prominent member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prince Paul Ikonne, has taken on Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe over remarks casting doubt on President Bola Tinubu’s victory in the 2023 presidential election, dismissing the claims as politically motivated and disconnected from present political realities.
Ikonne spoke on Tuesday during an appearance on TVC’s Morning Show, This Morning, where he suggested that Abaribe’s comments reflect rising anxiety within opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Senator Abaribe had on Monday asserted that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu did not win the 2023 election and would be unable to secure victory again in 2027.
Reacting, Ikonne said Abaribe’s persistent attacks on Tinubu’s mandate stem from apprehension over the APC’s growing national influence.
He argued that Tinubu’s 2023 victory was both clear and legitimate, noting that the president secured broad-based support across different regions, ethnic groups and political interests.
According to him, efforts to question the outcome of the election amount to revisionism and disregard decisions already upheld by the country’s electoral and judicial institutions.
Ikonne further maintained that Senator Abaribe lacked the moral authority to challenge Tinubu’s electoral strength, particularly in Abia State, alleging that the lawmaker is no longer in touch with grassroots political developments.
He claimed that Abaribe’s disengagement from his constituents has left him unaware of evolving political alignments in Abia and across the South-East.
He said: “If you know Senator Abaribe very well, you will realize that he is an attention seeker. He is always seeking attention. This is a man who did not win his own election in 2023. One young man defeated him during the election, and anybody who want to know the details should get what the young man filed at the Tribunal against Senator Abaribe.
“What Abaribe displayed showed clearly that the opposition, if any, are panicking. The President won election, not just in one state but across the country and his popularity has gone up more than what it was in 2023 because 90% of PDP in the entire South-east have collapsed into the APC.”
The former Executive Secretary of the National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) said recent political movements indicate growing support for the APC and the Tinubu administration.
“As we speak, about 90 per cent of the PDP structure in the South-East has collapsed into the APC,” Ikonne said. “The raw materials of politics are human beings, and those human beings are now gravitating towards President Tinubu. This is the reality in the South-East and Nigeria as a whole. I can assure you that there will be an Asiwaju tsunami in 2027.”
He also brushed aside claims that Tinubu would face difficulties winning Abia State, accusing Abaribe of being out of touch with developments in his constituency. Ikonne pointed to federal projects and interventions under the Renewed Hope Agenda as factors reshaping public opinion in favour of the APC.
According to him, ongoing infrastructure initiatives such as the rehabilitation of the Enugu–Port Harcourt Expressway, alongside agricultural and social investment programmes, are gaining strong public support in the South-East.
He said the projects underscore the Tinubu administration’s commitment to inclusive growth and balanced federal presence.
Ikonne also dismissed assertions that Nigeria is sliding into a one-party system, describing such arguments as excuses from politicians unwilling to acknowledge the APC’s expanding appeal. He insisted that defections from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party, All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and others were driven by performance and public acceptance rather than pressure.
“Even the blind and the deaf can see that Nigeria is developing rapidly under President Tinubu,” he said. “That is why the APC continues to attract followership from across party lines.”
He added:”It is not about one-party state, it is about building a strong platform, and you know that chartered politicians when they see a strong platform they don’t waste time, they cross and it is obvious that APC is the platform to beat.
“Like in the South East now, the region is now the stronghold of APC if you look at very well. So the door is still open for those who have seen the light to join us and for those who have not seen anything we wish them well.”
Addressing concerns over politicians defecting without clear ideology, Ikonne likened political parties to places of worship that welcome all adherents.
“When you begin to preach the word those who do do not have a vision will see vision, those without plans will begin to have plans. That’s what political platforms are meant to be.
“APC is a party of ideology, looking at the President, his programmes, he did establish a Blueprint for Lagos state when he was a governor, it was launched officially, and any governor that come after him will build on it. That’s Progressive, that’s where you see development.
“So, that Governor that played that foundation is now the President and that Blueprint will have been expanded to accommodate the diverse nature of Nigeria in order to develop the entire country. So APC has agenda, APC has ideology, ideology of development, ideology of raising the youths and ideology of inclusiveness.
“So, if those defecting to APC have seen the light because their houses were on fire and they need shelter, you accommodate them, educate them and when they will begin to see the difference. And that’s why they are not leaving. That’s the beauty of democracy. It is a global thing and not just about Nigeria.”
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