Soludo sings Kwankwaso’s praises, a less likely Presidential candidate, but slams Peter Obi, a major contender

The governor of Anambra State, Chukwuma Soludo, has described the presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, Rabiu Kwankwaso, as a man of tenacity and a strong believer in Nigeria.

This is contained in a statement on Friday in Awka by Christian Aburime, spokesman for the governor.

Mr Soludo also described the candidate as an exemplary public figure, and added that the nation needed leaders who truly believed in the country.

The governor said the country was in a serious situation and that time had come for progressives to begin to think of the ordinary person.

“I have always said that those who have something to offer should offer it through public service, public service is the biggest philanthropy.

“My position is that everyone should be allowed to canvas freely and allow the people to make their choice.

“We wish you best of luck in this movement, though I have been intensely focused on what is going on in my party,” Mr Soludo said.

The governor noted that the Southeast people were blessed but with lots of challenges, noting that all they needed were people who strongly believed in the country as leaders.

He said Nigeria had the potential of being among the top seven best economies in the world.

“The hard work is beyond the election, whoever wins, will need to sit down and bring out people of like minds to form a government that can transform this country,

“In Anambra and indeed, the Southeast, we pride ourselves as being republicans and that is freedom to converse, we are itinerant people who cannot afford to be an intolerant tribe.

“Large population of our people are in Kano. Igbo people are great stakeholders in all the places. Anambra is blessed and we are trying everything to make it work.

“Election is not a do or die affair, everybody should campaign freely,” Mr Soludo further said.

Earlier Mr Kwankwaso, said that he was in Anambra in furtherance of his consultations ahead of the February presidential election, and to unveil his campaign offices.

The NNPP presidential candidate lauded Mr Soludo’s development initiatives while thanking him for the warm reception.

He said he and candidates of the party for other elective political positions were presenting themselves to reverse the challenges of insecurity, economic crises and others in the country.

According to him, you are someone we’ve worked closely with over the years, I am sure this visit will go a long way in reinforcing our good relationship.

NewsWireNGR recalls that, in November 2022, Governor of Anambra State, Charles Soludo, had attacked the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, saying he cannot win the 2023 presidential election.

Soludo said the LP candidate was playing a game with his election bid, adding that Obi did not have the necessary structure in place to win the Presidency on the Labour Party platform.

The governor stated these in an article on Monday, titled, ‘History Beckons and I Will Not Be Silent (Part 1).’

Soludo had last Thursday during an interview on Channels TV ‘Politics Today’ said the investments in Anambra State credited to Obi, an ex-Anambra State governor, were worth ‘’next to nothing.’’

The former Central Bank of Nigeria governor’s criticism of his predecessor in Anambra State triggered a series of backlashes from Obi’s supporters, particularly on social media.

Obi ruled Anambra State between 2006 and 2014 on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance before he defected to the Peoples Democratic Party, and later the Labour Party.

Soludo alleged that some individuals, who were angered by his comments, had launched attacks on him and his family.

He claimed there were suggestions that the Saturday attack in which five security personnel died in his community, Isuofia, in the Aguata Local Government Area of the state, were carried out by those provoked by his comment on the LP candidate.

While describing the attacks on him as an exhibition of desperation, intolerance, he noted that the attempt to bully everyone who expresses the slightest of dissent was reprehensible.

Soludo further cited the attack on the Archbishop of the Anglican Church of Nigeria, Enugu Ecclesiastical Province, Dr. Emmanuel Chukwuma, by Obi’s supporters commonly known as ‘Obidients.’

He described as tyranny the attempt to muscle out those who were not in support of Obi’s presidential ambition, stressing that this attitude might endanger the future political and economic interests of the Igbos, if not checked.

While acknowledging the anger of some youths in urban cities and the Diaspora over the trajectory of the country or with the candidates of the major parties, the governor lectured his adversaries on the tenets of democracy, stating that the minority would have their say, but the majority their way.

According to him, translating anger and social media agitation into political outcomes requires humongous work.

Weighing the LP standard bearer’s chances in the forthcoming poll, the governor said, “Let’s be clear: Peter Obi knows that he can’t and won’t win. He knows the game he is playing, and we know too; and he knows that we know.

“The game he is playing is the main reason he didn’t return to APGA. The brutal truth (and some will say, God forbid) is that there are two persons/parties seriously contesting for president: the rest is exciting drama!

“That many Americans may not like the fact that Joe Biden (79 years) and Donald Trump (76 years) are two frontrunners for president in their parties does not remove the fact that if both of them emerge as candidates, definitely one of them will be president in 2024.

“As my brother, I wish him well and even pray for him. I told him during his courtesy call that my prayer is that himself or Prof Umeadi of APGA would win, why not?

“That is from my heart, but I also told him that my head and facts on the ground led me to know that it’s probability is next to zero (what I cannot say before you, I won’t say behind you).’’

Stating that Obi might not come third in the race, Soludo contended that the LP lacked the structure to win the presidential election in 2023.

He added, “So, I already told him my opinion. As my brother, I wish him well and even pray for him. Indeed, there is no credible pathway for him near the first two positions, and if care is not taken, he won’t even near the third position.

‘’Analysts tell him you don’t need “structure” to win. Fantasy! Of course, LP won governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun on social media and via phantom polls, while getting barely 2,000 votes on ground.’’

The governor conceded that the LP candidate would get some votes in his home state of Anambra, but noted that this would not take him anywhere.

 “Of course, Peter Obi will get some votes, and may probably win in Anambra State— as “home boy”. But Anambra is not Nigeria. If he likes, I can even campaign for him but that won’t change much. From internal state-by-state polling available to me, he was on course to get 25 per cent in five states as of August this year. The latest polling shows that it is down to four states, and declining,’’ he submitted.

Dismissing claims that he was envious of his predecessor, Soludo said he and Obi had been friends for a long time, adding that he vowed never to leave APGA for another party.

The governor added, ‘’The same Peter Obi was one of those who told Ndigbo that APGA was the vehicle through which Igbos would organise to engage the rest of Nigeria politically. He was said to have sworn to Ojukwu and publicly that he would quit politics the day he leaves APGA. The rest is history. When he was the vice-presidential candidate under PDP in 2019, the emotive train then dubbed the ticket “the Igbo project”. As then chairman of planning and strategy committee of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, I cautioned for a more pragmatic approach but the emotive blaze of the time held sway. We were vindicated afterwards.

‘’By the way, in 2016, he visited and proposed that I defect to the PDP and contest the 2017 election against the incumbent Willie Obiano, but I declined. After my victory in November 2021, he called to congratulate me as I did to him in 2010. That is the Anambra way: we fight fiercely during campaigns but share drinks at the next social events. After all, it was the great Zik of Africa who taught us that in politics, there are no permanent friends or permanent enemies but only permanent interests.’’

The governor noted the failure of the LP to field candidates for the two chambers of the National Assembly in Lagos, adding sarcastically that he would have given Obi money if he were the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, for making his victory easier.

He stated, ‘’Not even in Lagos State (supposed headquarters of urban youths) where the Labour Party could not find candidates to contest for House of Reps or Senate.