-The President is my friend, I won’t deny him second term’ – Soludo
-Wadada declares SDP no longer a place for me
Shagari dismisses opposition: ‘Tinubu unbeatable
Anambra Governor Chukwuma Soludo and Nasarawa Senator Ahmed Wadada have publicly endorsed President Bola Tinubu’s expected 2027 campaign, marking significant cross-party support.
Soludo, who leads the opposition APGA party, called for a “progressive coalition” after meeting the President in Abuja, while Wadada confirmed his return to the ruling APC.
Their declarations came as former Sokoto deputy governor Mukhtar Shagari dismissed economic critics, declaring Mr Tinubu “electorally secure.”
The two leaders, who held separate closed-door meetings with the President at Abuja’s State House, voiced support for Tinubu’s policies while explaining their endorsement of his re-election
Governor Soludo who arrived earlier for talks with the President, was seen wearing a cap that prominently featured Tinubu’s official insignia.
Speaking after the meeting Soludo declared: “Tinubu is my friend, 22 years and counting, and I won’t deny him a second opportunity.”
He said was impressed by Tinubu’s “bold steps” in economic and structural reforms.
He, therefore, urged all parties that claim to be progressive to form a “massive coalition” for national development.
Questioned about the cap he was wearing and his vocal support for Tinubu despite leading APGA rather than the President’s APC, Soludo offered no apologies for his stance.
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He said: “The caps were produced when President Tinubu visited Anambra State, and you saw the billboards proclaiming that progressives are working together. This is a fundamental belief I hold—that all political parties that profess progressivism should unite in a massive coalition to strengthen our democracy and advance the country’s economic and social development,” Soludo explained.
“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 has been my friend for 22 years and counting—you don’t deny your friend. I fully support him and 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.”
Addressing the relative peace in Anambra State and the magic he did to achieve that, Governor Soludo said, “That’s a short question with a long answer.”
“We’ve taken a holistic approach to security. In January this year, we passed the Homeland Security Law, aimed at addressing insecurity fundamentally. The deadly native doctors, who give false hope and lure young people into crime, are now fleeing the state.”
He added, “Our approach is comprehensive—both kinetic and non-kinetic. 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 program 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.”
Governor Soludo further highlighted efforts to address economic hardship beyond infrastructure improvements, school and health facility rehabilitation.
“We are intentional about the economic and social empowerment of our youths. We’re doing a lot—intelligence gathering, kinetic security measures, and decisive action against lawbreakers.”
In related development, Senator Aliyu Ahmed Wadada of Nasarawa West has signaled his return to the ruling All Progressives Congress.
The legislator, following an audience with President Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, endorsed the administration’s agenda while dismissing opposition prospects, asserting the political landscape was already settled for the next electoral cycle.
The former PDP and APC chieftain characterised his previous defection to the Social Democratic Party as situational rather than ideological.”
He said: “I could even say I am in APC already, though not officially. Life is dynamic. Politics is dynamic.”
Wadada praised Tinubu’s investment on road infrastructures, such as the Sokoto–Badagry and Abuja–Kano highways, and credited him with driving the Federal Capital Territory’s (FCT) transformation.
Spear News reports that Wadada in May, signaled his imminent defection, citing the unprincipled lifestyle of former Kaduna State Governor Malam Nasril El-rufai’s conduct in the party.
In blunt remarks delivered at Keffi, Wadada made no secret of his unease with El-Rufai’s rising clout in the SDP.
“Even though Malam El-Rufai is my elder brother, I don’t think I can stay with him in the SDP because he is not a principled politician,” he stated.
Wadada pointed to El-Rufai’s well-documented role in supporting Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s emergence as APC’s flagbearer in 2022 and questioned the sincerity behind his recent political pivot.
“What changed in President Tinubu between the time El-Rufai supported him and now that he has defected to the SDP?” Wadada asked pointedly.
Wadada contrasted El-Rufai’s actions with what he described as true loyalty and principle, citing Senator Abdullahi Adamu’s continued allegiance to the APC, even after his preferred presidential candidate, Senator Ahmad Lawan, lost out at the primaries.
Beyond internal party politics, Wadada weighed in on national issues, particularly the aftermath of fuel subsidy removal. While acknowledging the hardship it has caused, he praised Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule for using the additional funds to drive visible development.
Defying prevailing economic anxieties, ex-Sokoto Deputy Governor Shagari has positioned himself as an unlikely defender of the administration, declaring Tinubu politically impregnable for 2027. During his televised remarks, the former official framed subsidy critics as embittered losers in Nigeria’s political realignment.
“The truth is, for over 15 years, I have been against fuel subsidy because it is a scam. Journalists know it, politicians know it — the subsidy was simply a channel for corruption. It was costing Nigeria trillions that could be used for development. I have to give credit to President Tinubu for having the courage to do what others feared to do by removing it completely,” Shagari said.
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