President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s potential re-election bid for 2027 received significant momentum on Wednesday as the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) declared its alignment with his administration and signalled an impending formal endorsement.
APGA National Chairman, Barrister Sylvester Ezeokenwa, announced at a press briefing in Abuja that the party’s National Executive Council (NEC) is set to officially back President Tinubu in the next general elections.
He positioned APGA as Nigeria’s premier progressive party, stating its philosophy is in sync with Tinubu’s governance style.
Ezeokenwa rooted the decision in historical precedent, tracing APGA’s tradition of collaborating with progressive central governments from the tenures of former Anambra Governors Peter Obi and Willie Obiano to the current administration of Professor Chukwuma Soludo.
“It is in the history of the party to work with the central government that is progressive,” Ezeokenwa said. He emphasised that the party’s focus remains on delivering good governance, not merely contesting elections.
The Chairman directly addressed swirling rumours of defection by the party’s national leader, Governor Soludo, to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). “Professor Soludo is going nowhere. I can say unequivocally that the Anambra State Governor, as party leader, never nursed such ambition,” he stated firmly.
Ezeokenwa highlighted President Tinubu’s recent visit to Anambra as a symbol of their shared progressive bond, noting, “You saw the day Mr President visited Anambra State, he wore the APGA insignia without bias, so we are quite in support of him.”
Beyond political alignment, Ezeokenwa commended Tinubu’s “visionary leadership and patriotism,” specifically praising the historic appointment of Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu, a prominent APGA figure, as a Minister. “This is the first time the party is producing a Minister not of the same party,” he noted, calling her arguably the best in the cabinet.
However, the APGA leader also voiced a critical policy stance, criticising the over-centralisation of Nigeria’s security architecture and advocating for decentralisation—a position his party will continue to champion.
Attributing APGA’s landslide victory in the last Anambra gubernatorial poll to Governor Soludo’s performance, Ezeokenwa dismissed opposition criticism as inconsequential. He framed the party’s overwhelming mandate—winning all but seven local government areas—as a testament to its popularity and effective governance, a model it believes aligns with the Tinubu presidency.
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