2027: Why I'm supporting Tinubu

Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State says he has no apologies for supporting President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general election.

Mr Soludo spoke while fielding questions from reporters shortly after meeting with President Tinubu at the Presidential Villa on Tuesday.

The governor is a member of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) while Mr Tinubu is of the All Progressives Congress.

Progressives should form coalition

When asked the reason for his support to Mr Tinubu, Mr Soludo said he believes that political parties, which profess “progressivism,”

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should form a coalition to deepen development in Nigeria.

“For me, saying ‘progressives working together’ is a call to those who share these ideals. Regarding President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, I have no apologies for my support.

“He (Tinubu) has been my friend for 22 years and counting – you don’t deny your friend,” he said.

“I fully support him and I am impressed by the bold economic and structural reforms he has implemented. We are on the right path, and we need to stay the course.”

Battle against insecurity in Anambra

Mr Soludo also said his administration has employed a “holistic approach” to tackle insecurity in Anambra State.

“In January this year, we passed our Homeland Security Law, which is trying to deal with insecurity from the foundations.

“All the deadly native doctors are on the run from the state, because these are the guys giving false hope and so on and deceiving our young ones and luring them into criminality and all of that,” he stated.

The governor said he has adopted a dual approach to the fight against insecurity in the state.

“The kinetic operations have succeeded, but we are focusing heavily on non-kinetic strategies, which include youth empowerment and job creation.

“Our unique one-year skills training programme has already empowered about 5,000 youths, and another 8,700 will receive substantial funding within the next month or two. We are creating thousands of youth millionaires within the first three years. This empowerment is spreading throughout the state, with youths actively engaged,” he stated.

Mr Soludo boasted that his administration was dealing with hardship in Anambra State beyond investment in infrastructure, fixing of schools and health.

“We’re also very intentional about economic and social empowerment of the youth. So we’re doing quite a lot: The kinetic intelligence gathering and those who run foul of the law definitely will be decisively dealt with,” he said.

Soludo’s Support

This is not the first time Mr Soludo would express support for Mr Tinubu ahead of a general election in Nigeria.

Ahead of the 2023 general election, Mr Soludo predicted that Mr Tinubu would win the presidential election of that year.

READ ALSO: Sowore, others protest withholding of certificate of corps member who criticised Tinubu

The Anambra governor also said that Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, would not win the election, citing his lack of political structure.

Again, in May this year, Mr Soludo announced that his party, APGA, has adopted Mr Tinubu as its presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.

However, Mr Soludo needs to ensure his re-election before the 2027 election. He will face other challengers, including Mr Tinubu’s APC, in November, to retain his seat. He is, howevet, believed to enjoy the tacit support of the president.