2027: APGA ADOPTS TINUBU, SOLUDO MOBILISES PARTY FOR NATIONWIDE CAMPAIGN, UNVEILS 253 CANDIDATES
By Titus Eleweke
The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has formally adopted President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as its presidential candidate for the 2027 general election, with Anambra State Governor and National Leader of the party, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, leading the party’s nationwide campaign flag-off in Awka.
In a statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Christian Aburime, the announcement was made at a ceremony held at Alex Ekwueme Square, Awka, where APGA also unveiled more than 253 candidates contesting various elective positions across the country, formally signalling the commencement of its campaign activities ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The adoption of Tinubu represents a significant political alignment by APGA ahead of the presidential election, positioning the party alongside the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the forthcoming electoral contest.
It also marks a continuation of APGA’s previous presidential endorsements, having supported former President Goodluck Jonathan in the 2011 and 2015 elections.
At the ceremony, Governor Soludo formally presented party flags to 44 APGA candidates contesting legislative positions in Anambra State.
The candidates comprised three senatorial candidates, 11 House of Representatives candidates and 30 candidates for the Anambra State House of Assembly.
Addressing party faithful and supporters who converged on the venue from different parts of the country, Soludo said APGA’s decision to adopt President Tinubu was consistent with the party’s progressive political philosophy and its commitment to advancing national development through collaboration with other progressive political forces.
He recalled that APGA had similarly adopted former President Goodluck Jonathan in the 2011 and 2015 presidential elections, stressing that the party’s decision to support Tinubu in 2027 was a continuation of its established tradition of building political alliances beyond party boundaries.
“Today, as we unveil our campaign as the foremost progressive party in Nigeria, we are also officially adopting President Bola Tinubu as the presidential candidate of APGA. We did it in 2011 and 2015 for President Jonathan. We are repeating it in 2027, because progressives are working together to support a President who loves Ndi Igbo and Ndi Anambra,” Soludo declared.
The governor used the occasion to make a case for stronger political cooperation between the South-East and the Federal Government, urging the people of the region, particularly Anambra residents, to evaluate the Tinubu administration based on its policies, infrastructure interventions and other tangible benefits to the region rather than political sentiments.
He specifically cited the ongoing dualisation and rehabilitation of the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway, alongside other federal infrastructure projects in the South-East, as evidence of the Federal Government’s commitment to addressing some of the region’s longstanding developmental challenges.
According to him, political engagement should be driven by tangible development outcomes, enlightened self-interest and strategic political bargaining, rather than emotional considerations or partisan sentiments.
Soludo argued that political support should be linked to the ability to attract development and secure meaningful benefits for the people, emphasising the importance of constructive engagement with the Federal Government in advancing the interests of the South-East.
He consequently charged APGA candidates and party members to intensify grassroots mobilisation and take the party’s message directly to the electorate through door-to-door campaigns and community engagements ahead of the January 16 and February 6, 2027, elections.
The governor assured the candidates that he would personally join them in the field to canvass support, stressing that the campaign would not be left solely in the hands of the candidates and party executives.
He expressed confidence in APGA’s grassroots structures and organisational capacity, urging party members to consolidate their presence across communities and translate the party’s political support into electoral engagement.
Soludo also challenged voters to distinguish between reason and emotion when making political choices, maintaining that the electorate should be guided by issues of development, performance and the interests of the state and the wider South-East region.
Earlier, APGA National Chairman, Barrister Sly Ezeokenwa, commended Soludo for what he described as transparent and competitive party primaries conducted in strict compliance with relevant electoral laws.
Ezeokenwa said the growing influx of new members into APGA was attributable to the Soludo administration’s people-oriented policies, adding that the development reflected increasing confidence in the party’s leadership and political direction.
He reaffirmed APGA’s commitment to consolidating its political structure in Anambra State and expanding its influence beyond the state, declaring that “Anambra State remains APGA land.”
The national chairman expressed confidence in the party’s preparations for the 2027 general elections and called on members and supporters to remain committed to the party’s campaign and mobilisation efforts.
The flag-off ceremony brought together APGA leaders, candidates, party faithful and supporters from different parts of the country, marking the party’s formal entry into the 2027 election campaign and its declaration of support for President Tinubu’s re-election bid.
