Senator Orji Uzor Kalu has said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu faces no serious challenger ahead of the 2027 presidential election, urging supporters in Abia State not to "waste" their votes.
Kalu made the remarks on Friday during the Abia APC stakeholders' meeting in Umuahia, where party leaders discussed unity and preparations for future elections.
The Abia North lawmaker said the All Progressives Congress (APC) would retain power because the opposition lacked the strength to mount a credible challenge.
"President Tinubu has no competition, he has no rival. The opposition is in tatters," Kalu said.
He added that Nigerians should not "throw away" their votes, insisting that Tinubu remains the strongest candidate heading into the next presidential election.
Kalu said Nigeria's electoral structure requires broad national support to win the presidency, arguing that no region can produce a president without alliances across the country.
According to him, the South-East must embrace national unity if it hopes to produce a Nigerian president in the future.
"We need a united Nigeria to be able to get a united Igbo president. First of all, you need 24 states to be president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria," he said.
The former Abia State governor also dismissed suggestions that Tinubu would struggle to secure votes in northern Nigeria, arguing that many voters would prefer continuity over electing a new president who could serve two terms.
On the economy, Kalu defended the Tinubu administration, saying the country's economic challenges reflect wider global conditions rather than policy failures.
He said similar economic pressures were affecting countries including the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States, Ghana and South Africa.
Kalu also urged APC leaders in Abia to maintain party unity ahead of the elections, warning that internal divisions could weaken the party's chances at the polls.
He called on ward, local government and state party leaders to manage members fairly to prevent the emergence of factions and strengthen the party's electoral prospects.
