Anosike: Igbo Presidency Requires National Alliances, Not Sentiment
Senator Emma Anosike
“APC chairman urges Anambra voters to support Tinubu, says political collaboration is key to securing South-East interests”
By Titus Eleweke
The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Anambra State, Senator Emma Anosike, has urged the people of the South-East to prioritise strategic political alliances over ethnic sentiment, arguing that securing the Nigerian presidency requires broad-based national support beyond the region.
Anosike made the call while responding to questions on how to address voter confusion arising from the emergence of multiple presidential candidates from different political parties, including an Igbo presidential aspirant contesting on the platform of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
He acknowledged that the NDC candidate was a good man and qualified to become president but questioned whether the South-East could secure the presidency through its votes alone.
According to him, a presidential candidate must secure at least 25 per cent of the votes cast in two-thirds of the states of the federation to meet the constitutional requirement for election, making strategic alliances with other regions indispensable.
“Our problem in Anambra is the problem of our brains and our hearts. We deal with our hearts so much, and that is so much emotion that makes us not see the bigger picture,” Anosike said.
“Our brother contesting the presidency in the NDC is a good man, and he is qualified to be president, just like any law-abiding, tax-paying adult in the South-East. But the issue is: can we make him president with only our votes alone?” he asked.
Anosike said the South-East must develop a deliberate national political strategy, build relationships with other regions and present its interests in a manner that attracts broader support.
“For us to be president in this country, we must plan for it, and we must collaborate with other people. We must enter into relationships with other people,” he said.
He described political collaboration as a necessary strategy for challenging an incumbent president, noting that the opposition had missed an opportunity to build a stronger political front following the fragmentation of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) into factions.
Anosike also expressed concern that some candidates were reluctant to openly campaign for President Bola Tinubu because of political considerations, resulting in mixed messages to voters.
He said the ongoing collaboration among the APC, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Accord Party was intended to address the confusion and mobilise support for Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
“We are going to move into the churches, towns and all platforms to let our people know that we are not against our brother. We are thinking of the betterment of our people,” he said.
The APC chairman said the objective was to position the South-East at the centre of national political decision-making rather than leave the region on the fringes of power.
He commended Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, who is coordinating the collaboration, describing him as an experienced politician with the capacity to promote the alliance across the state.
Anosike said the coalition was gaining momentum, with politicians from different parties expressing interest in joining the movement.
He disclosed that he was scheduled to meet town unions, churches and other organisations in the Omambala area to promote the collaboration.
Anosike said support for Tinubu should be based on tangible development and the political leverage it could provide the South-East, rather than ethnic considerations and sentiments.
Citing ongoing road construction from Otuocha through Abaji towards Kogi and Abuja, he said improved connectivity would create opportunities for farmers in Anambra to transport and market their agricultural produce across the country.
“You don’t support a candidate because of the sentiment that he or she is our brother or sister. The most important thing is: what is your interest, and what do you stand to gain after the support?” he said.
He urged voters to consider the potential benefits of supporting the president, arguing that such support would give the South-East a stronger basis for demanding development and representation at the federal level.
Anosike said Anambra had more than 5,600 polling units and suggested that even a modest number of votes from each unit could significantly strengthen Tinubu’s electoral performance in the state.
“If every polling unit gives Mr President 50 votes, you can imagine how many votes we shall have. With that, you can hold Mr President accountable. We can say, ‘We have voted for you; what is there for us at all levels of governance?’” he said.
Responding to concerns that federal appointments had disproportionately favoured APGA members over APC members in Anambra, Anosike said appointments were not determined solely by party affiliation.
He argued that despite the relatively low number of votes Tinubu received in Anambra during the previous election, the president had nevertheless delivered important benefits to the state and the South-East.
Anosike maintained that federal appointments were sometimes based on individual competence rather than party membership, adding that qualified people from other political parties could also serve in the government.
“Bola Tinubu is APC, and by the time he wins, we can walk into Aso Rock and make our own demands. It is not all appointments that come through political parties.
“If I am president tomorrow and you belong to another party and you have capacity, I will bring you in to do that work. The positive results would rub off on the people, not APC or APGA alone,” he said.
The remarks came as Soludo convened a joint campaign meeting involving the APC, APGA, PDP and Accord Party to mobilise support for Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
