Soludo Targets 50% of Anambra Votes for Tinubu in 2027

Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, has pledged to work towards securing at least 50 per cent of the state’s votes for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 general election, signalling a significant political alignment between the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Soludo made the declaration on Friday, November 6, during the flag-off of APGA’s 2027 national campaign at Dr Alex Ekwueme Square in Awka. Addressing party supporters, candidates and other stakeholders, the governor announced that APGA would not field a presidential candidate in the forthcoming election but would instead adopt Tinubu, who is expected to seek re-election on the APC platform.

“Today, we adopt the APC presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as our candidate,” Soludo told the gathering. He also made the party’s position explicit, saying APGA would not have a separate presidential candidate and that Tinubu would be its choice for the 2027 contest.

The governor said the decision was influenced by what he described as Tinubu’s show of love and concern for the Igbo people, with particular attention to Anambra State. He pointed to appointments made by Tinubu during his time as governor of Lagos State, saying several people of Anambra origin were given strategic positions in the Lagos administration.

Soludo presented the endorsement as a continuation of a political approach APGA had followed in previous election cycles. According to him, the party had at different times adopted the presidential candidate of the party controlling the Federal Government. He said its decision to support Tinubu was consistent with that arrangement rather than an entirely new direction.

The governor’s pledge is notable because of the scale of the target and the result Tinubu recorded in Anambra during the 2023 presidential election. Soludo recalled that the president received fewer than 5,000 votes in the state at the last election. Despite that outcome, the governor argued that Tinubu had continued to address issues affecting Anambra and the wider South-East.

“We gave him only about 5,000 votes, and yet he is doing wonderful works in the state,” Soludo said, making the comparison while urging residents to reconsider their political choices ahead of 2027. He maintained that the state should seek a stronger relationship with the government at the centre if it wants to press its development priorities more effectively.

Soludo also linked the proposed support to the region’s ability to negotiate with the Federal Government. He argued that voting for Tinubu would provide Anambra and the South-East with a stronger platform to engage the administration and seek attention for infrastructure, economic development and other regional concerns.

“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 State,” the governor said. He reiterated the target, declaring that the party would work towards securing 50 per cent of the state’s votes for the president.

The message places political calculation at the centre of APGA’s position. Soludo’s argument is that electoral support can strengthen a state’s access to federal decision-makers and create room for discussion on projects and policies. However, the pledge remains a political target, not a guarantee of how voters will cast their ballots when the election takes place.

Anambra has a distinct political landscape in which APGA has maintained a strong presence, particularly in state-level politics. The party’s decision to back an APC presidential candidate therefore carries significance beyond the endorsement itself. It brings the state’s governing party into alignment with Tinubu’s re-election effort while leaving APGA to contest other positions under its own platform.

That distinction is important. Soludo’s announcement concerned the presidential election; it did not mean that APGA was merging with the APC or abandoning its candidates for legislative and other offices. The party is continuing preparations for the wider 2027 elections, including the presentation of candidates to contest different constituencies.

At the campaign flag-off, Soludo unveiled more than 253 APGA candidates as the party began its mobilisation for the next electoral cycle. He also presented party flags to 44 candidates representing legislative constituencies in Anambra. The group included three senatorial candidates, 11 candidates for the House of Representatives and 30 candidates for the state House of Assembly.

The event drew the governor’s deputy, state lawmakers, members of the executive council, party officials and supporters. The presentation of flags formally signalled APGA’s readiness to take its candidates into the campaign period.

APGA National Chairman, Chief Sly Ezeokenwa, also addressed the gathering. He expressed confidence in the party and urged its candidates to take the APGA manifesto to communities, wards and voting areas across the state. His remarks reinforced the party’s intention to maintain its political presence in Anambra while preparing for the national contest.

Soludo’s endorsement places regional interests and national alliances at the centre of the debate. He has argued that the South-East should use its electoral influence to strengthen engagement with the Federal Government. Supporters may view the move as a practical effort to secure federal attention, while critics may question whether backing an incumbent is the best way to advance the region’s priorities.

Whether APGA can translate the governor’s target into votes remains uncertain. A governor’s endorsement and a major party’s structure can shape campaign activity, but they do not determine individual choices. Voters will assess candidates and consider issues such as the economy, security, public services and the performance of governments at state and federal levels.

The 2023 result provides a benchmark for the task. Tinubu received fewer than 5,000 votes in Anambra, showing that his support in the state was limited at the time. Soludo is now setting a much higher target, which will require sustained mobilisation and convincing voters that the alliance serves their interests.

The pledge also places expectations on the Tinubu administration to show that its policies and interventions can address concerns in Anambra and the wider South-East. Soludo cited the president’s engagement with the region as a reason for the endorsement, but voters will judge the relationship by its results. Federal projects and the handling of national challenges are likely to feature in the debate.

For APGA, the arrangement allows it to support Tinubu for president while campaigning under its own platform for other offices. Soludo’s message is that backing the president can improve the region’s bargaining position with the Federal Government.

The endorsement is likely to become part of the early debate over alliances and regional influence. Other parties will pursue their own strategies in Anambra, while the presidential contest will feature competing candidates and messages. Soludo’s 50 per cent target gives APGA a clear objective, but its success will depend on the campaign and voters’ response.

For now, the governor has made APGA’s position clear. The party will not present a presidential candidate of its own and intends to support Tinubu’s re-election bid. Whether that declaration can turn into the promised share of votes will be decided by Anambra voters at the ballot box in 2027.