Soludo Praises Support for Tinubu's Re-Election as Historic

Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, has called the backing of 33 state governors for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election as an “unprecedented milestone” in Nigeria’s democratic history.

Soludo, who leads the All Progressives Grand Alliance, said this support shows a wide political agreement on the need for the Federal Government’s economic reforms and the pursuit of national unity, security, and shared prosperity.

He spoke at the launch of the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council in Abuja on Wednesday. He also announced his party’s support for Tinubu’s bid for a second term.

He said, “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.

“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 33 governors seated here in support of a sitting President.

“If you count progressives and you don’t count APGA, it is not complete. APGA is the first party in Nigeria, registered as progressive in 2002. APC came 12 years later.

“In all the history I know about Nigeria, there has never been a time when you have such a constellation and consensus that one man should be re-elected. It has never happened before.”

He urged for the unification of progressive forces across Nigeria. He argued that the country needed continuity in its reform program to achieve economic stability and shared prosperity.

He also recognized the economic problems in the country but insisted there was strong political support for structural reforms.

“In terms of the economic management of this country, there has never been any time in our history when there has been a greater elite consensus about the trajectory of economic reform. Never before! 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.

“I have called before that all progressives in Nigeria must unite. This is an opportunity we must not miss. We must come together for the new Nigeria that we dream about. There is a pathway that is working. In the second term, I believe there will be an acceleration in the transformation, going from stability and reform to shared prosperity. It is the acceleration phase towards what I call pragmatic progressivism.

“That, we must entrench in Nigeria. Why change a winning team? If it is not broken, why fix it? I say to you, Mr President: we are with you. We are a partner in this journey back to Aso Rock, and we will remain your partner in the governance process. We are with you,” Soludo added.

He urged Nigerians to stay committed to the reform process. He described Tinubu’s re-election bid as a chance to strengthen the achievements of the administration’s policies.