Chuks Okocha in Abuja
The Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, has said supporting President Bola Tinubu’s second-term bid could pave the way for an Igbo presidency in the future.
In a video that circulated on X at the weekend, Soludo, speaking in Igbo, said backing Tinubu in the 2027 election could encourage other regions to support an Igbo presidential candidate when power returns to the South.
He said the South-east should support the incumbent southern president, noting that power would shift to the north after Tinubu’s tenure before eventually returning to the south.
“You have to engage in discussions. Now that it is a southerner holding the power; it’s remaining four years. It is now left for us (Igbos) to support him so that when it goes to the North and comes back, we can now trust that every southerner and northerner will support us,” he said.
The governor said political power should rotate among different groups, adding that he had no intention of seeking a third term.
“What am I vying for? I’ve gotten a governorship position; will I go for a third term? Everyone must be given the opportunity to be able to rise,” he said.
Soludo also said the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), the party under which he was elected governor, would support the prevailing political direction in the interest of the south-east.
“As for APGA, we will support the moving train because that is where we can get our share that we would bring home in our own interest,” he said.
His remarks followed his appointment to the revised presidential campaign council of the All Progressives Congress (APC), unveiled recently.
Soludo was appointed to the council alongside Osun State governor, Ademola Adeleke, and the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
APGA described the governor’s inclusion as a testament to his consistent advocacy for a strategic partnership between Anambra State and the federal government for the collective good of Ndi Anambra and Ndigbo at large.
In a statement, APGA’s National Publicity Secretary, Ejimofor Opera, said the partnership had yielded tangible benefits for Anambra, including federal collaboration on critical infrastructure projects and economic development initiatives.