2027 Presidential Race: Soludo, APGA Target 50% of Anambra Votes for Tinubu

By Praise Chinecherem

The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has officially adopted President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as its preferred presidential candidate for the 2027 general election, with Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, pledging to deliver at least 50 per cent of the state’s votes to the President.

Soludo made the declaration on Friday during the flag-off campaign rally at Ekwueme Square, Awka, Anambra State, where he said the decision was driven by the need to sustain political engagement with the Federal Government and secure more development for the South-East.

The governor, who addressed party faithful alongside his deputy, members of the State House of Assembly and the State Executive Council, described the endorsement as a continuation of APGA’s previous political arrangements with the ruling party at the centre.

“Today, we adopt the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, as our candidate. We don’t have a presidential candidate. Tinubu is our candidate,” Soludo declared.

He said the party was determined to significantly improve on Tinubu’s performance in Anambra during the 2023 presidential election, when the President reportedly secured fewer than 5,000 votes in the state.

According to Soludo, the endorsement was also a gesture of appreciation for what he described as the President’s support for Anambra State and the South-East.

“Tinubu has demonstrated love and concern for the Igbo people, particularly the people of Anambra State. He appointed several Anambra indigenes to strategic positions in Lagos State during his tenure as governor,” he said.

The governor argued that despite the relatively low votes Tinubu received in Anambra in 2023, the President had continued to address some of the challenges confronting the state and the South-East.

Soludo urged residents to support Tinubu in 2027, insisting that aligning with the Federal Government would strengthen the region’s ability to negotiate for development and economic opportunities.

“I and my sister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who managed the economy of Nigeria in 2003, have stated independently and without equivocation that the economy under Tinubu is doing well,” he said.

He added: “Let us vote for him to solidify the economy’s growth and also to sit with the government at the centre. We can then negotiate for the development of the South-East and Anambra State. We are targeting 50 per cent for the President.”

Soludo also challenged opposition parties, saying they were apprehensive about APGA’s political strength and electoral prospects in the state.

APGA Unveils 253 Candidates

At the rally, the governor unveiled more than 253 APGA candidates across the country as part of the party’s preparations for the 2027 general elections.

He also presented party flags to 44 candidates contesting legislative positions in Anambra State.

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

In his remarks, APGA National Chairman, Chief Sly Ezeokenwa, reaffirmed the party’s dominance in Anambra, describing the state as APGA’s political stronghold.

Ezeokenwa urged the party’s candidates to take its manifesto to every ward and polling unit, stressing the importance of grassroots mobilisation ahead of the elections.

The rally marked a significant step in APGA’s political positioning ahead of the 2027 general election, with the party seeking to consolidate its influence in Anambra while strengthening its relationship with the ruling APC at the federal level.

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