‘South-East Must Align With Centre’: APGA Chairman Defends Soludo’s Support for Tinubu

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Sly Ezeokenwa, has described the South-East’s continued political isolation as a “bitter truth”, arguing that the region must build alliances with other parts of Nigeria to improve its chances of producing a president.

Ezeokenwa made the remarks while defending Anambra State Governor Charles Soludo’s decision to support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

Speaking in an interview first aired on Arise News, the APGA chairman said the party’s endorsement of Tinubu was driven by historical relationships, political strategy and what it considered the long-term interests of the Igbo people.

He argued that the South-East could not realistically secure the presidency without forming broader coalitions, given its share of Nigeria’s registered voters.

“The bitter truth is that we believe it has not served the interests of the South-East to continue on this trajectory of political alienation,” Ezeokenwa said.

He maintained that aligning with Tinubu would help the region strengthen its political relevance and position itself for future presidential ambitions.

“The roadmap to the presidency, for the foreseeable future, requires the South-East to find a way to align with the centre,” he said.

According to Ezeokenwa, APGA believes the presidency should remain in the South for another four years to allow Tinubu to complete his tenure under the informal power-sharing arrangement between northern and southern Nigeria.

“For now, it is the South’s turn to complete its remaining four years through the incumbent President,” he added.

Why APGA adopted Tinubu

Ezeokenwa rejected suggestions that Soludo’s support for Tinubu amounted to a personal alliance or necessarily constituted anti-party activity.

He explained that APGA had maintained a longstanding policy of cooperating with the party controlling the federal government, dating back to around 2011.

Under that arrangement, he said, APGA adopted former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2011 and again in 2015. The party also continued supporting incumbent presidents in 2019 and 2023, despite fielding its own presidential candidates.

The APGA chairman cited the appointment of Bianca Ojukwu, a member of the party’s Board of Trustees, as a minister in Tinubu’s administration as another indication of the relationship between the two parties.

He argued that coalition-building was a normal feature of Nigeria’s multiparty democracy and that parties with similar political ideologies could reasonably support a common presidential candidate.

Ezeokenwa also referred to the constitutional requirements for winning a presidential election, including securing a majority of votes cast and at least 25 per cent of votes in at least two-thirds of the states.

He said these requirements made broad regional alliances necessary for candidates seeking to win the presidency.

‘I head a political party, not a charity organisation’

The APGA chairman also addressed criticism over the party’s position on Peter Obi, the former Anambra governor who won the state’s governorship election on APGA’s platform in 2003 before later joining other political parties.

Obi, who contested the 2023 presidential election for the Labour Party, remains a significant political figure in the South-East.

Asked why APGA appeared to be distancing itself from a prominent Igbo politician, Ezeokenwa said the party had to prioritise its strategic interests over sentiment.

“Emotions will get us nowhere. I head a political party; I do not run a charity organisation,” he said.

He alleged that Obi had worked against APGA after leaving the party, citing his alleged support for rival candidates in subsequent elections.

Ezeokenwa also recalled how APGA members defended Obi’s electoral mandate at the tribunal after his 2003 governorship victory was disputed.

He said the party deserved recognition for providing Obi with its platform and supporting his legal battle.

“We have never denied that Peter Obi helped us to get re-elected,” he said, referring to APGA’s return to power in Anambra State.

However, he disputed suggestions that Obi’s later political activities were consistently supportive of the party, alleging that their relationship had become strained over time.

APGA insists Tinubu’s re-election is in Igbo interests

Ezeokenwa maintained that supporting Tinubu was the best political option for the South-East under the current circumstances, despite the region’s strong backing for Obi during the 2023 presidential election.

He argued that continued political exclusion would not help the region achieve its long-term ambition of producing a president.

“As painful as it is, that is our position. It is in the strategic interests of Ndi Igbo to align with President Bola Tinubu’s aspiration,” he said.

He pledged that APGA would make efforts to persuade voters in the region to support Tinubu in the 2027 election.

Asked how many votes the party expected to deliver, Ezeokenwa declined to provide a numerical target, saying the priority was to convince voters of the political reasoning behind the endorsement.

“For me, it is not about figures. It is about presenting our people with the facts, the truth and, as it were, the bitter truth: that, in this election, there is no pathway for our so-called brother,” he said.

The remarks underscore the political debate surrounding APGA’s support for Tinubu, Soludo’s alignment with the APC-led federal government and the implications for Peter Obi’s influence in the South-East ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

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