During a massive political gathering at the Dr. Alex Ekwueme Square in Awka, the Anambra State chapter of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) on Friday officially resolved to deliver at least 50 percent of the state's total votes to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the upcoming January 2027 general elections. The high-profile event marked the formal launch of the APGA Presidential Campaign Council.
The massive turnout brought together party loyalists, community members, and grassroots mobilization groups drawn from all 326 wards, 21 local government areas, and the three senatorial zones of the state. This formidable mobilization serves as a direct political statement regarding the forthcoming electoral contest.
Speaking to the enthusiastic crowd, Anambra State Governor, Prof. Charles Soludo, committed his administration to mobilizing the electorate to ensure President Tinubu secures half of the state's ballots in the next election cycle. Soludo clarified that APGA is not fielding its own presidential flagbearer for the 2027 polls, having officially adopted the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
"We are targeting 50 per cent for the President," Governor Soludo stated, emphasizing that the decision to back the incumbent federal leader is a strategic political arrangement. He formally announced, "Today, we adopt the APC presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as our candidate."
Why is APGA backing President Tinubu?
Governor Soludo explained that the endorsement stems from the federal administration's demonstrated commitment to the welfare of the Igbo people in the South-East geopolitical zone and Anambra State in particular. He recalled that Tinubu previously appointed numerous indigenes of Anambra to key public offices during his tenure as the Governor of Lagos State.
Reflecting on the previous electoral cycle, the governor noted that the state only delivered approximately 5,000 votes for Tinubu during the 2023 presidential election. Despite this low return, he noted that the federal government has continued to intervene in critical infrastructural challenges affecting the region, notably severe ecological erosion and other developmental projects across the South-East states.
What are the expectations for the 2027 polls?
Soludo urged residents of the state to rally behind Tinubu in 2027, arguing that robust electoral support would position Anambra and the wider South-East region to better engage with the federal authorities at the center for enhanced developmental dividends.
"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," Soludo concluded.