A governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Obiorah Okonkwo, has declared that Anambra State Governor, Prof. Charles Soludo, cannot count on the support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his second-term bid in the upcoming November 8 gubernatorial election.
Speaking to journalists after submitting his expression of interest and nomination forms at the APC national secretariat in Abuja, Okonkwo dismissed claims that Soludo contributed to Tinubu’s victory in the 2023 presidential election. He argued that the governor had distanced himself from the APC’s campaign efforts in Anambra and had rebuffed multiple overtures from the party’s presidential campaign team.
Okonkwo further alleged that Soludo denied Tinubu a courtesy handshake when the president visited Awka for his campaign, adding that the APC’s inability to secure 25 percent of the votes in Anambra was a direct result of the governor’s actions.
According to Okonkwo, the APC must work to install one of its own as governor to ensure the party’s stronghold in Anambra and bolster Tinubu’s chances for reelection in 2027. “Our party, managed by seasoned politicians, will not fall for this trick again. We will not sabotage our own candidate for an APGA gimmick,” he stated.
He urged the electorate to reject propaganda and embrace the APC as the party capable of addressing the marginalization of the South East. Okonkwo also criticized Soludo and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) for relying on a purported zoning arrangement to justify his second-term bid.
Highlighting the political dynamics of Anambra, Okonkwo insisted that the central senatorial zone, where he hails from, deserves the next governorship seat, as the northern and southern senatorial zones have both produced governors since the return of democratic rule in 1999.
He expressed confidence in the APC’s ability to secure victory in at least 14 out of the state’s 21 local government areas and pledged to reposition Anambra for sustainable growth and development if elected.
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