Chekwas Okorie, the founding National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), has strongly criticized Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State for allegedly promising President Bola Ahmed Tinubu the party’s support in the 2027 presidential election.
The controversy follows President Tinubu’s state visit to Anambra on Thursday, during which Governor Soludo reportedly assured the president that APGA would adopt him as its presidential candidate for the 2027 election cycle.
Soludo Overstepped His Boundaries – Okorie
Speaking to journalists, Okorie condemned Soludo’s statement as a gross overreach and an act of political impropriety. He emphasized that while the governor is entitled to highlight his achievements during such high-profile visits, he does not possess the constitutional or moral authority to commit the party to presidential endorsements.
“I wish to state without equivocation that all well-meaning Nigerians, especially the people of Anambra State and Ndigbo at large, warmly welcomed the President’s visit. However, Governor Soludo went beyond his limits when he declared that APGA would support President Tinubu in 2027,” Okorie said.
He also challenged Soludo’s reference to a supposed APGA policy of adopting presidential candidates, citing the 2011 endorsement of former President Goodluck Jonathan by then-Governor Peter Obi as an isolated event, not a binding party tradition.
A History of Misrepresentation by APGA Governors
Okorie lamented that APGA has repeatedly been misrepresented by self-serving governors, whom he accused of political betrayal and disloyalty to the platform that elevated them.
He recalled a similar situation involving former Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha, who unilaterally claimed that APGA joined the APC merger in 2013 — a move Okorie insists was personal and not reflective of the party’s position.
“This is not the first time a sitting governor has taken liberties with APGA’s name. Okorocha made similar false claims during the APC formation. Soludo is now toeing the same path of political overreach,” Okorie asserted.
Soludo Cannot Speak for APGA – Founding Chairman Insists
The APGA pioneer stressed that Governor Soludo “lacks the capacity” to make such a monumental commitment on behalf of the party without proper consultation with the National Working Committee (NWC) or its broader leadership structure.
He urged party members and the general public to disregard Soludo’s remarks, describing them as personal opinions rather than party policy.
As political tension builds ahead of the 2027 general elections, Okorie’s remarks underscore internal discontent within APGA and raise questions about governor-led political endorsements. The development may also reignite debates about party loyalty, governance ethics, and the future of regional political parties in Nigeria’s evolving democratic space.
