Soludo: APGA doesn’t have a presidential candidate; Tinubu is our candidate

The All Progressives Grand Alliance has adopted President Bola Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, as its candidate for the 2027 general elections, with Anambra State Governor Charles Soludo declaring an ambitious target of delivering 50 per cent of the state’s votes to the President.

The declaration was made on Friday at the Ekwueme Square in Awka during the inauguration of the party’s national campaign for the 2027 elections, ValidViewNetwork reports.

THE ADOPTION

Soludo, the national leader of APGA, was unequivocal.

“APGA has no presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections and will, therefore, adopt President Tinubu as its preferred candidate,” he said. “Today, we adopt the APC Presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, as our candidate” .He insisted that Tinubu was the only presidential candidate the party would support in 2027.

“We don’t have a presidential candidate. Tinubu is our candidate,” Soludo said .

THE RATIONALE

The governor justified the decision by citing Tinubu’s record of appointing Anambra indigenes to strategic positions during his tenure as Lagos State governor, and his continued attention to the challenges facing the South-East.

“Tinubu has demonstrated love and concern for the Igbo people, particularly the people of Anambra State,” Soludo said. “APGA had adopted the presidential candidate of the ruling party in previous elections. Therefore, the party’s decision to support Tinubu in 2027 is a continuation of that political arrangement”.

He recalled that Anambra recorded fewer than 5,000 votes for Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election, yet the President had continued to address some of the region’s challenges.

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“We gave him only about 5,000 votes, and yet he is doing wonderful works in the state,” Soludo said .

THE TARGET

Soludo declared his intention to deliver 50 per cent of Anambra’s votes to Tinubu in 2027, a tenfold increase from the 2023 performance.

“We need to vote for him in order to sit with the government at the centre and negotiate for the development of the South-East and Anambra,” he said. “We are targeting 50 per cent for the President” .

THE CANDIDATES

During the event, Soludo officially unveiled over 253 candidates as standard-bearers across the federation, including 44 candidates representing various legislative constituencies in Anambra State.

The flag recipients included three senatorial candidates, 11 candidates for the House of Representatives, and 30 candidates for the State House of Assembly.

APGA National Chairman Chief Sly Ezeokenwa expressed confidence in the party’s prospects, urging all candidates to take the party’s manifesto to every ward and voting district .

WHY IT MATTERS

APGA’s adoption of Tinubu is a significant political realignment in the South-East.

The region has traditionally been a stronghold of the opposition, and APGA’s decision to back an APC President is a signal that the political landscape is shifting.

For Tinubu, it is a boost in a region where he performed poorly in 2023. For Soludo, it is a calculated move to secure federal influence and negotiate for the development of Anambra and the South-East.

The target has been set. The campaign has begun. And Anambra is now firmly in the President’s corner. ValidViewNetwork reports.