Anambra Governor Chukwuma Soludo urges Ndigbo to support President Tinubu’s re-election, citing political partnerships and regional interests ahead of 2027.
Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, has urged the Igbo people to prioritise political reasoning over emotions in the 2027 presidential election, arguing that supporting President Bola Tinubu’s re-election would serve the region’s long-term political interests.
Soludo made the remarks in Awka during a stakeholders’ meeting involving members of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Accord Party, which he convened as Anambra State Coordinator of the APC Presidential Campaign Committee.
He was referring to the support among many Igbo people for the presidential ambition of former Labour Party candidate, Peter Obi, who is from the South-East, saying the region needed political partnerships to secure future opportunities.
Speaking at the meeting, Soludo argued that those who could not defeat Tinubu in 2023 when he was not yet president should not expect to defeat him in 2027 while he is an incumbent.
He also warned that the South-East could face political consequences if it failed to support Tinubu’s re-election.
“This is a grand coalition for the progress, prosperity, security, and welfare of Nigeria and of course, Anambra. This is a battle for the soul of Ndigbo and Anambra, a battle between emotion and reason. Emotion will always dominate, but reason will eventually triumph,” he said.
Soludo said the Igbo had sought the presidency since 1978 but needed political partnerships to achieve the ambition.
“We have clamoured for the presidency since 1978, we have held many positions in Nigeria except president. So, how do we get there? We need partnerships. Politics is about interest, we are not doing Tinubu any favour by supporting him, rather we are doing ourselves a favour. We did not vote for him in 2023, yet he won, and some people want us to repeat the same mistake?” he said.
The governor expressed confidence in Tinubu’s chances in the next election, insisting that the president would be difficult to defeat.
“A warrior who you couldn’t beat when he was sleeping in 2023, is it now that he is fully awake that you think you can defeat him? It can’t happen. Show me anywhere in the world that anyone has taken power from a powerful incumbent president?” he said.
He described Obi as a close friend but maintained that their political differences would not affect their personal relationship.
“Ndigbo have been playing politics of protest and it is not in our own favour. Our brother who is running for president (Peter Obi) is my friend. We are close, our families are close and we will remain close. The only place where we disagree with each other is in politics. We can not keep deceiving our people,” Soludo said.
He added that supporting Tinubu for a second term could strengthen the South-East’s chances of negotiating for the presidency when power returns to the South.
“In politics, there is not prize for second position, that is why I say we should not throw away our votes. We must remember there is consequences for running and failing, so for Ndigbo, this is a battle between temporary emotion and reason. If we back Tinubu for a second term, after his tenure, power will move to the north, and when it comes to the South again, we will be able to negotiate with other regions in the South to support us because we supported them when they needed us,” he said.
Soludo also dismissed suggestions that his support for Tinubu was motivated by personal benefits, saying he did not intend to contest another election after completing his second term as governor.
He recalled predicting Obi’s defeat in the 2023 presidential election, adding that a fragmented opposition would struggle against an incumbent president.
“I’m saying this truth because I care for Igbo. I’m no longer contesting any election after my second term, so I can retire to my village and be enjoying fresh palm wine, but it is the future of Ndigbo that we are fighting for. That is why I’m shouting because I know that contesting and failing has serious consequences,” he said.
The governor urged members of the four political parties to adopt door-to-door campaigns to secure votes for Tinubu in Anambra, particularly among undecided voters.
He also said supporting the president’s re-election would strengthen the state’s position in seeking federal assistance for infrastructure projects.
“Tinubu is doing many projects in Anambra State. We want to support him to ensure that he returns to complete them. There are numerous other projects that we would want him to do, but you can only ask for them if you are a member of the inner chamber,” he said.
Soludo cited road construction, a gas pipeline project, rail development and erosion control as areas requiring collaboration between the state and federal governments.
“We need to partner with federal government for some projects. Our roads need to be motorable, there is the gas pipeline project, rail project, erosion menace. Some of these are not things a state can take on with just FAAC, and the only way the federal government can come to our aid is if we are partners,” he said.
