News Analysis: Soludo’s Declaration for Tinubu
By Evan. Balogun (Iriju)
Governor Soludo is a not your out and out politician. But the economist is showing he understands politics also and how to manoeuver to ones unique advantage.
He made that announcement on purpose.
The governor is aware it is not time for such political pronouncement and he is not the national leader of APGA to make such declaration.
But he is displaying brinkmanship. He wants to deny Peter Obi the APGA platform for 2027 Presidential race.
He noticed Obi is having problems with LP and SDP is becoming a toxic platform to those in forming alliance against President Tinubu.
The governor suspects APGA might be Obis last fall-back plan, so he gave the ticket to Asiwaju in advance.
He had presented the APGA leaders with a fair accompli. Even if APGA leaders are desirous of giving Obi th ticket, he already warned them he won’t back such plan and would fight it too.
That effectively shutdown Obis backup plan.
Recall also that ahead of the 2023 Presidential election, Soludo had offered the same ticket to Obi with a plan to use the platform to rally all Igbos and broker political alliances preparatory for an Igbo Presidency in the future
Governor Soludo had disclosed that he warned Obi that Obi cannot win the election in his own strength but would rather pave the way for the victory of Asiwaju .
But Obi snubbed the ticket and picked LP ticket. Soludo did several newspaper advertisement to explain his position before the election.
Interestingly, all the predictions he made came to pass during the election as Obi blocked Atiku of PDP from winning the election and opened the door for an APC Victory.
The offering of the ticket to the President is an I-warned-you -but- you-wont-listen poise and a furtherance of the larger Igbo-for-President plan which Obi ditched to his adventure into LP!
If Soludo and APGA leaders stay true to the announcement, he would be positioning the APGA for an alliance with APC which could make the idea of an Igbo President a reality in the near future.
Governor Soludo also used the announcement to seal a pact with the president ahead of his own 2026 gubernatorial election.
He knows Asiwaju won’t mind winning Anambra for APC ahead of the 2027 Presidential polls , he is also aware that this endorsement will put Asiwaju and his political strategists in a dilemma.
The Anambra Governor already pledged his public support to APC,so why unhorse him for another unknown person?
I see Governor Soludo eventually joining the APC after his second term in office or dragging the APGA into APC in a merger or historic alliance.
Such move, I dare say would position Professor Charles Soludo as a likely Presidential candidate on the APC platform when the Presidency comes back to the south in 2039 .
