Reps member who claimed Peter Obi can't win 2027 election faces backlash at political event

A member of the House of Representatives, Clement Jimbo, who said Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, cannot win the 2027 election and will even lose his polling unit, faced clear rejection from some members of his constituency at a political event in Etim Ekpo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

Mr Jimbo represents Abak/Etim Ekpo/Ika Federal Constituency under the All Progressives Congress (APC). He is aiming for re-election in the 2027 election.

The federal lawmaker claimed in at least two interviews between January and February that Mr Obi was “moving against the direction of winning any election in this country.”

In January, Mr Jimbo said in an interview that Mr Obi would never win the 2027 election because he was “unpatriotic” and not offering “constructive opposition.” He accused Mr Obi of always portraying the country negatively.

A month later, in an interview with TheCable, Mr Jimbo said, “Peter Obi is only making noise. He cannot win any election in Nigeria.”

He added, when asked about Mr Obi’s polling unit, “He is not going to win his polling unit, mark my words.”

But on Thursday, 24 September, Mr Jimbo’s political future faced challenges when Emmanuel Enoidem, an APC chieftain in Akwa Ibom, urged residents at a project commissioning in Etim Ekpo to support Jimbo’s return to the House in 2027.

The crowd reacted with “No,” according to a video seen by PREMIUM TIMES.

Mr Enoidem is a former national legal adviser of the Peoples Democratic Party and a senior advocate of Nigeria. He is also a close ally of Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State.

At the event, Mr Enoidem made several strong appeals for Mr Jimbo’s re-election. “It will amount to rebellion for you not to vote all the candidates of APC and Clement Jimbo is one of them,” he told the crowd.

“We will return him whether you like it or not.” He repeated, “We will return him,” multiple times.

“We will not be afraid to mention Clement Jimbo. We will say the name as many times as possible until it becomes part of you. We will return Clement Jimbo in 2027,” Mr Enoidem continued.

Mr Enoidem ran for the Akwa Ibom North-West Senate seat in 2023 against Godswill Akpabio, who won and later became Senate president.

During the event, when the camera showed the audience, some were waving their hands, showing disapproval of Mr Enoidem’s call for support for Mr Jimbo.

Mr Enoidem then asked the gathering, “Do you love me? Have you been following me? Have you been listening to me?”

He reiterated, “We will return Clement Jimbo.”

In the February interview, Mr Jimbo downplayed Mr Obi’s political strength, the 2023 Labour Party’s presidential candidate who later joined the African Democratic Congress.

Mr Jimbo said Mr Obi had switched between political parties without building a strong political base.

“Peter Obi is only making noise. He cannot win any election in Nigeria,” he stated.

He challenged Mr Obi to name his party agent in his (Jimbo’s) polling unit in Abak Urban Ward 1.

“That was why it was a problem for them when the court asked them to produce copies of the results,” he said.

Mr Jimbo concluded his argument with a clear prediction: “He is not going to win his polling unit, mark my words.”

When asked if Mr Obi was irrelevant in the 2027 election, Mr Jimbo said he could not win his polling unit.

The language used by Mr Enoidem at the event raised questions about how party leaders can demand loyalty from members while voters still have the right to choose candidates.

In response to PREMIUM TIMES’ inquiry, Mr Enoidem said his statement had been taken the wrong way.

He explained that the gathering at the model school at Utu Nsekhe/Utu Ikot Eboro was made up of APC members and was not just an ordinary event for all voters.

“You need to know that everyone who gathered at the Model School at Utu Nsekhe/Utu Ikot Eboro in Etim Ekpo LGA to witness the commissioning of that school is a card-carrying member of the APC. They were not just voters but party members,” he said.

However, PREMIUM TIMES has noticed over time that project commissioning in Akwa Ibom usually attracts people beyond party loyalists.

Mr Enoidem said party members are bound by the party’s rules and called voting for another party’s candidate a form of anti-party activity.

“Anti-party is a rebellion against the party and can lead to suspension, expulsion, or loss of rights and privileges of a party member,” he said.

He explained his “whether you like it or not” comment, saying it was aimed at APC members to stress party loyalty.

“A party member has no option but to vote for his party candidate,” Mr Enoidem stated.

He did, however, recognize that voters should have the freedom to choose.

“Of course, I acknowledge the right of every voter to freely choose a candidate,” he said.

He distinguished between ordinary voters and party members, claiming that APC members must support the party’s candidate.

Mr Jimbo responded to PREMIUM TIMES, saying the crowd's reaction at the event did not show strong opposition to his re-election.

“That is not the truth on ground,” he said.

“In a democratic setting, it is okay to have a dissenting voice. That’s the beauty of it. Everybody must not agree with you.”

He remained confident that he would return to the House of Representatives in 2027 based on his record of representation.

“My return to the Green Chamber in 2027 does not face any resistance strong enough to overcome the majority of voters willing to support us,” he said.

Mr Jimbo listed projects like schools, solar-powered boreholes, grants to women, youth empowerment programs, solar streetlights, and bursaries as reasons voters will support him.

He also mentioned that projects had been implemented across all 31 wards in the constituency.

When asked if voters should decide whether he returns to the National Assembly, Mr Jimbo responded, “Absolutely yes. That’s democracy!”

“Everyone should support and campaign for the candidate of their choice. On Election Day, vote for your candidate,” he said.

He added that votes would be counted and the Independent National Electoral Commission would announce the winner.

Mr Enoidem acknowledged that there are issues between Mr Jimbo and some constituents in Etim Ekpo.

“I don’t think anything unusual or terrible has happened. It is just the usual political disagreements,” he said.

He mentioned complaints about zoning as one of the issues.

“The major complaints are that the position should have gone to Ika based on the history of zoning in the area,” Mr Enoidem noted.

He also pointed out that Mr Jimbo had not consulted widely enough and had not empowered the youths sufficiently.

“There is still time to resolve the disagreements before the election,” he said.

“I am sure he knows about the complaints and the need for deeper consultations,” he added.

Mr Enoidem also urged youths to give the lawmaker another chance.

“I pray our people, especially the youths, to be patient and give him a second chance,” he said.

This is not the first time Mr Jimbo has attracted controversy. Last year, PREMIUM TIMES reported that the federal lawmaker faced backlash for using the ADC plane crash to mock the coalition against Tinubu.

Mr Enoidem’s involvement is also significant because of his political background.

He served as national legal adviser of the PDP during the 2019 elections and was part of the team that challenged Muhammadu Buhari and the APC's victory in the presidential election.

Mr Enoidem previously opposed “electoral intimidations” that undermine the people's choices. In 2019, when there were concerns that “federal might” might be used during elections in Akwa Ibom, Mr Enoidem said, “Election is supposed to be a civil responsibility in a peaceful environment where voters exercise their franchise.”

He was named a senior advocate of Nigeria in November 2023.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that Mr Enoidem did not initially follow Governor Eno when he left the PDP for the APC in June 2025. He eventually joined the APC in January 2026 at Etim Ekpo.

At Thursday’s event, he strongly supported the APC’s candidate in the federal constituency, arguing that those at the project inauguration were expected to back Mr Jimbo.

The crowd’s clear rejection of that appeal now puts Mr Jimbo’s political contest under the spotlight, just months before the 2027 elections.

Mr Jimbo, however, insists that the majority of voters in Abak/Etim Ekpo/Ika will send him back to the House in 2027.