Pragmatic Progressivism: Soludo Throws APGA Weight Behind Tinubu’s Re-election Bid At APC Presidential Campaign Council Inauguration 

CHRISTIAN ABURIME 

The Governor of Anambra State, Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, CFR, has formally announced his party’s support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election campaign, marking a significant moment of cross-party convergence as Nigeria prepares for the 2027 presidential election.

Speaking at the inauguration of President Tinubu’s All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council in Abuja today, Governor Soludo delivered an extemporaneous address representing the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
Governor Soludo highlighted what he described as an historic political alignment in Nigerian governance.

“Mr. President, to the best of my knowledge, there is no time in Nigeria’s history that there has been a greater consensus, a political and elite consensus. This is the first time we have about thirty-three Governors seated here in support of a sitting President,” Governor Soludo told the gathering.

The speech comes amid growing cross-party mobilisation for the incumbent, with recent developments showing similar convergence.

Addressing the ideological bridge between APGA and the APC administration, Governor Soludo emphasized three core pillars:
“APGA believes in the unity of Nigeria. We believe in the security of Nigeria. We believe in the shared prosperity of Nigeria. And that is part of the reason we are throwing our weight behind the President, who symbolizes these three pillars, for the Nigeria of today and the Nigeria of tomorrow.”

The governor’s remarks reflect his longstanding position on Nigerian unity.

He also noted APGA’s historical positioning within Nigeria’s political landscape, reminding attendees that “APGA is the first party in Nigeria, registered as progressive in 2002. APC came twelve years later.”
This contextual framing appears aimed at legitimising the cross-party alliance from a progressive ideological standpoint.

Governor Soludo further offered substantive support for the Tinubu administration’s economic trajectory, acknowledging the challenges involved in current reform measures.
“The path that you have chosen, that you have had the courage to take, is a difficult but necessary and required path. That is why we are joining with you, Mr. President,” the governor stated.

His comments align with the Tinubu administration’s reform agenda, which has included fuel subsidy removal, naira floating, and tax reforms, policies that have drawn both support and criticism from various quarters of Nigerian society.

Concluding his address, Governor Soludo reaffirmed APGA’s ongoing partnership with the federal administration beyond electoral considerations.
“We are with you, Mr. President: we are a partner in this journey back to Aso Rock, and we will remain your partner in the governance process.”

He characterised the second term as an “acceleration phase” transitioning “from stability and reform to shared prosperity,” introducing what he termed “pragmatic progressivism” as the governing philosophy.

At the inauguration were thirty-three state governors from the ruling APC and other parties, alongside several APC chieftains and members of the campaign council.