Stop opposition politics, integrate with FG, Soludo tells South-East leaders

Gov. Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra has urged South-East political leaders to abandon opposition politics and embrace greater integration with the Federal Government. Soludo made the call at a stakeholders’ meeting on Sunday in Awka. The meeting had political leaders and grassroots mobilisers from the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Accord Party.

The governor said that the coalition of political parties in support of President Bola Tinubu’s re-election represented a new direction for the region’s political engagement. According to him, the era of opposition politics, which became prominent in the South-East during the 2015 general elections, should give way to active participation in governance at the centre.

He said that considerable work was required at the grassroots to change public perception of the government and mobilise support for the president. He argued that the 5,000 votes Tinubu received in Anambra in the 2023 presidential election had contributed to attracting significant projects to the state and the region. “If 5,000 votes could attract these projects to our state and the region, imagine what would happen if we mobilised the electorate to give him massive support,” he said.

On the economic reforms of the government, Soludo acknowledged efforts to stabilise foreign exchange availability and address fiscal challenges, noting that, although progress had been made, more work was required. He called for structural realignment of the coalition, saying existing campaign and mobilisation structures would be streamlined during the week.

The governor urged grassroots mobilisers to adopt door-to-door campaigns, drawing lessons from successful political mobilisation strategies used during the 1983 elections. He also advised campaign teams not to be distracted by opposition criticism and verbal attacks on social media, but to remain focused on communicating what he described as the truth.

Soludo reaffirmed his commitment to long-term governance, saying that the decisions being taken by his administration were aimed at securing a prosperous future for generations to come. Earlier, APGA National Chairman, Mr Sly Ezeokenwa, described the gathering as a landmark in the political history of Anambra. Ezeokenwa said that the coalition was an unprecedented political alignment involving different parties united in support of Tinubu’s re-election.

He commended Soludo for providing leadership and facilitating the alliance, assuring that APGA would fully support the governor’s political direction. “Our party structure is ready to execute the instructions and deliver results at the polls,” he said. Also speaking, APC Chairman in Anambra, Sen. Emma Anosike, expressed appreciation for the development strides in the state.

Anosike said that the political realignment was aimed at positioning Anambra more directly within the government’s political and developmental framework. He called for cooperation and solidarity among political parties, irrespective of their differences, to achieve the objectives of the coalition.