Politics
Anambra: The People Have Taken Over My Campaign, Soludo, As Ibezi Returns To APGA
By Okey Maduforo Awka
Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra state yesterday at the Idemili North Campaign rally announced that the entire Anambra electorates have taken over his campaign for his second term election come November 8th 2025.
Addressing a tumultuous crowd of over 15,000 suppoters at the rally in Abatete town of Idemili North local government area which also had in attendance the sister local government area of Idemili South, Soludo expressed certisfaction over the over flow of endorsements by the wards and respective communities who according to him have been making huge financial donations to his second term ambition.
“November 8th election, the Anambra people have taken over the campaign and it is no longer my campaign”
“Never in the history of Anambra state that you find people organizing rallies of endorsement funded by themselves with their own money and even donating money to my campaign”
“We have never seen a thing like this before in Nigeria and it is the People’s movement and here in Idemili North, I remember I came for a campaign in Obosi and Obosi had over 5,000 voters and after the rally the gave us N 50 million” he said.
Continuing Soludo said that other communities are demanding for their own date for the endorsement rally.
“I heard that Ogidi is asking for a date for their own rally in support of my reelection”
“Ifitedunu town in Dunukofia local government area gave us N50 million and another community gave us N50 million that means that we are moving.
“Another community had its campaign rally and made donation of N100 million and that is indeed an indication of the take over of my second term election”
“It is the People’s movement and communities are taking ownership organizing rallies and making endorsements ”
“Even this morning I hosted one of the Communities they had three wards and they told me that they are no longer talking about the delivering the three wards and that they want to make sure that all the polling units in the wards would be delivered to APGA and I want to tell you all that this is your movement.
“We are not talking about whether we will win Idemili North because you are about 257 ,000 registered voters but I am sure that you are going to handle the paradox of Idemili North.
“Our contest is at the 5,720 polling units and other areas are now trying to compete with Idemili North but I am convinced that we shall will in Idemili North with what we have on ground”
Soludo officially welcomed the former Federal House of Representatives member for Idemili North and South Constituency Hon Ifeanyi Ibezi who had decamped to the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) .
“We thank and welcome my friend and brother Hon Ifeanyi Ibezi back to APGA his home .
“We are welcoming him back to the family of APGA ; he left sometime ago and joined the APC and he contested for election under the APC as well but he has also been part of it but I I am sure he has looked in to see the APC in Anambra and came with a realization that East , West , North and South, home is the best ”
Also speaking the state Chairman of APGA Chief Ifeatu Obi-Okoye described the return of Ibezi to APGA as a home coming noting that;
“Today is the coming together of Idemili North and principally is the final readmission of Hon Ifeanyi Ibezi to APGA and you will notice that members of the state Working Committee are with me here and the two local government Mayor’s of Idemili North and South are with me here ”
“Our duty here is to tell you that the party leadership and the party harachy welcome you back APC ”
“We make sure that everybody is free to join the party and we know that Hon Ifeanyi Ibezi has the capacity to join hands to deliver our party in Idemili North”
“And we want to tell his Excellency that we shall break the Idemili paradox” he said.
Receiving Governor Charles Soludo at the occasion, Hon Ifeanyi Ibezi said ;
“Your Excellency is that the Idemili North people have decided to rewrite the narrative of the paradox of Idemili North and what you are seeing today is the beginning of that event and we thank you for all your support and what you are doing in Anambra state ”
“We are thanking you for coming to Abatete today ”
“Mr Governor with deep sense of humility we want to tank you for coming and this is your second mission in this community called Abatete and on behalf of myself and our own Traditional Ruler Igwe Engr Emeka Efobi and indeed the rest of other Traditional Rulers thank you for coming to Abatete, Idemili North and South local government area”
“My serving colleagues in the House of Representatives, Hon Paschal Agbodike, Hon Chinwe Nnabuife and Hon Chinagorum Gwacham have in a motion seconded by all of us all and in a resolution endorse you for a second term ”
“I am a believer that in Idemili North, we have 467 polling units over 448,000 Private Voters Cards collected and Idemili South we have over 118,000 PVC collected over 249 polling units and we have 710 polling units here ”
“If we must break the paradox of Idemili politics we must go down to our unit and cluster levels where we created the structure and ward level and break that jinx and we will do the needful and Abatete has over 38 polling units and we shall deliver 98 percent of the votes I will drop this uniform” he concluded.
By Okey Maduforo, Awka
Ahead of the 2027 National Assembly elections, a mass protest voting movement may be building up in Anambra South Senatorial District, following reported moves by members of major political parties to support the candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Chief Ebuka Onunkwo.
The development is said to be linked to grievances among some members of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), All Progressives Congress (APC), African Democratic Congress (ADC) and remnants of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over the treatment allegedly meted out to Onunkwo during previous political contests.
Onunkwo, who had previously contested the Anambra South senatorial seat under APGA, later emerged as the NDC candidate for the 2027 election.
Although the ADC is currently embroiled in legal disputes over the authentic candidates and the conduct of its primary elections, some members of the APC and APGA are also reportedly dissatisfied with developments within their respective parties.
It was gathered that a section of APGA members, in particular, are backing Onunkwo as a form of protest over the conduct of the party’s senatorial primary, while some members of other parties are also believed to be considering voting for him irrespective of their party affiliations.
Confirming the growing support for Onunkwo, the Chief Executive Officer of NOWAS Oil and Gas Limited and a major stakeholder in Anambra South politics, Chief Ignesus Ikechukwudere Nnubia, said the NDC candidate currently enjoys widespread acceptability across party lines.
Nnubia said the growing support for Onunkwo had made his party affiliation less significant, arguing that voters would ultimately vote according to their conscience and assessment of the candidates.
He said, “At the moment, the number of APGA members with him and supporting him makes one wonder what is left of that party. Even the remnants of the PDP have pitched their tents with him, while members of the ruling APC at the national level are also behind him.
“So, the party that he belongs to is not a factor at all. You know that it is a game of numbers, and people are going to vote according to their conscience and not necessarily because of the political party they belong to.
“People are not bound to vote for their party, and some of them are ready and willing to vote for him.
“We are not talking about the party because he will surely get votes from the NDC, APGA, APC and even other political parties that are already closing ranks to support him as their candidate.”
Nnubia further described Onunkwo as the candidate currently standing tall among the contenders for the Anambra South senatorial seat, expressing confidence that his emergence would usher in what he described as a “new dawn” for the district.
He said political parties should not be the major consideration for voters, stressing that what matters most is the ability of elected representatives to improve the lives of their constituents.
According to him, political parties exist because of the people, and therefore the influence of party structures and incumbency has its limits during elections.
Nnubia said those factors would ultimately be tested by the electorate in the 2027 election, which he described as a contest in which voters’ choices would determine the outcome.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate for the 2027 Ebonyi State election, Chief Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii, has pledged to attract more than ₦2 trillion in private-sector investment to the state within six months of assuming office if elected.
Odii made the pledge while addressing supporters in Lagos ahead of the formal commencement of his campaign.
He said his investment strategy would cover key sectors of the Ebonyi economy, including mining, hospitality, real estate and manufacturing.
According to the PDP candidate, he has identified more than 2,000 prospective investors, each capable of investing about ₦1 billion in the state.
“I have over 2,000 people who can invest ₦1 billion each. When you multiply it, you will get over ₦2 trillion. This has been structured in such a way that all aspects of the economy will be involved,” Odii said.
He said the proposed investment drive was designed not only to inject capital into the state but also to create jobs, expand the productive base of the economy and provide opportunities for young people and entrepreneurs.
Odii said Ebonyi’s natural resources and strategic location placed it in a strong position to attract large-scale investments if its economic potential was properly harnessed.
He promised that his administration would prioritise private-sector participation, industrialisation and job creation while creating an enabling environment for both local and foreign investors.
The candidate also said existing businesses in the state would be supported to expand, while new investors would be encouraged to establish operations across various sectors.
His pledge comes amid growing political activities ahead of the 2027 governorship election, with economic development, employment generation and wealth creation featuring prominently in his campaign message.
The proposed ₦2 trillion investment target within six months, if achieved, would represent a significant boost to Ebonyi’s economy and rank among the most ambitious private-sector investment mobilisation plans proposed in the state.
By Okey Maduforo, Awka
The planned visit of the First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, to Anambra State has sparked controversy following a protest by the state Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Emma Anosike, that the party was not informed about the visit.
Anosike said the APC in Anambra was never consulted or briefed about the proposed visit, adding that the party was taken aback by reports that the wife of the party’s national leader and presidential candidate, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, would be visiting the state without recourse to the state chapter.
He said, “It is indeed strange that the First Lady of our presidential candidate is visiting Anambra State without recourse to the party in the state.
“The party wishes to state categorically that we are not part of the arrangements for the reception of our First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, because the party was never put in the picture.”
Anosike also dismissed the mantra that “The Progressives Are Working Together”, being canvassed by the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), describing it as a smokescreen by the ruling party in Anambra to hijack President Tinubu’s re-election from the APC.
He said, “For instance, the APGA-led government in Anambra State did not interface with us on the organisation of the visit, and the party wonders if the progressives are indeed working together.”
The APC chairman, however, said the development would not compromise the First Lady’s visit, urging all APC members and supporters in the state to turn out and give Senator Oluremi Tinubu a warm welcome.
He stressed that despite the party’s reservations over the arrangements, APC members remained committed to welcoming the First Lady to Anambra State.
Former Deputy Governor of Bauchi State, Sagir Saleh, has resigned his membership of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Saleh, who served as deputy governor under former Governor Isa Yuguda, announced his resignation in a letter submitted to the party leadership in Katagum Local Government Area.
He cited personal reasons for his decision but did not provide further details.
His exit comes amid growing disagreements within the Bauchi APC following the party’s 2027 governorship primary. Other prominent members, including former governorship aspirant Bala Jibrin and Sunusi Kunde, an associate of Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, have also reportedly left the party.
Jibrin, a former National Auditor of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), resigned on August 31, 2026, following his opposition to the emergence of former Bauchi Governor Muhammad Abubakar as the APC’s 2027 governorship candidate.
He had criticised the primary process and questioned how the candidate emerged.
Kunde also resigned from the APC in August, submitting his resignation to the party chairman of Beti Ward in Misau Local Government Area.
The latest departures are coming as efforts continue to resolve internal disputes and disagreements among APC members in the state.
The Leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, has raised the alarm over an alleged plot to assassinate former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar ahead of the 2027 general election.
Ayodele issued the warning in a video shared on his verified X account on Sunday, urging both opposition figures to strengthen their security and remain vigilant.
The cleric did not identify those allegedly behind the purported plot but claimed that attempts were being made to eliminate Obi and Atiku.
According to him, divine intervention would prevent the alleged plan from succeeding.
“Obi and Atiku, be very conscious of your security. They are looking for any means to eliminate Obi and Atiku.
“But God will never allow it to happen. Watch out and be cautious about your security,” he said.
Ayodele also urged President Bola Tinubu to reconsider travelling to the United States, alleging that there were forces in America working against his political fortunes.
The claims come as political activities and realignments intensify ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
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