2027: Those who couldn’t beat a sleeping Tinubu can’t beat him now that he’s awake – Soludo 

~ Says Igbo torn between emotion, reason, unites APGA, APC, PDP, Accord for president’s re-election

By Ifeizu Joe 

Anambra State Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo has said that President Bola Tinubu will win 2027 presidential polls, insisting that those who couldn’t defeat him when he was not in power should not be dreaming to do so now.

The governor said Ndigbo are torn between emotions and reason in the forthcoming presidential election, but advised that it was better to embrace reason than work on emotion.

Soludo was referring to the support being given by most Igbo people to the presidential candidate of Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Peter Obi, who is from the region.

Speaking at a stakeholders meeting of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Accord Party, which he convened in Awka as the Anambra State Coordinator of the Presidential Campaign Committee of APC, Soludo insisted that those who couldn’t win Tinubu when he was not in power should not expect to win him now that he is was charge.

Speaking at the well attended meeting which had members of the four political parties in attendance, Soludo insisted that there would be consequences for not supporting Tinubu of he wins reelection next year.

He said: “This is a grand coalition for the progress, prosperity, security, and welfare of Nigeria and of course, Anambra. This is a battle for the soul of Ndigbo and Anambra, a battle between emotion and reason. Emotion will always dominate, but reason will eventually triumph.

“We have clamoured for the presidency since 1978, we have held many positions in Nigeria except president. So, how do we get there? We need partnerships. Politics is about interest, we are not doing Tinubu any favour by supporting him, rather we are doing ourselves a favour. We did not vote for him in 2023, yet he won, and some people want us to repeat the same mistake?”

Soludo said he was sure of Tinubu’s victory next year saying: “A warrior who you couldn’t beat when he was sleeping in 2023, is it now that he is fully awake that you think you can defeat him? It can’t happen. Show me anywhere in the world that anyone has taken power from a powerful incumbent president?

“Ndigbo have been playing politics of protest and it is not in our own favour. Our brother who is running for president (Peter Obi) is my friend. We are close, our families are close and we will remain close. The only place where we disagree with each other is in politics. We can not keep deceiving our people.

“In politics, there is not prize for second position, that is why I say we should not throw away our votes. We must remember there is consequences for running and failing, so for Ndigbo, this is a battle between temporary emotion and reason. If we back Tinubu for a second term, after his tenure, power will move to the north, and when it comes to the South again, we will be able to negotiate with other regions in the South to support us because we supported them when they needed us.”

The governor insisted that he was not supporting Tinubu’s reelection for any percuniary gains, insisted that after winning a second term as governor, he was done with election contest.

He said: “I grew up in the era when we used to say – speak the truth and shame the devil. In 2023 I even wrote it down that he (Obi) will fail. I wrote that at best he would come third, and what later happened? This time, I’m saying it again that he will fail. Once you go to election with fragmented opposition, the incumbent will carry the day.

“I’m saying this truth because I care for Igbo. I’m no longer contesting any election after my second term, so I can retire to my village and be enjoying fresh palm wine, but it is the future of Ndigbo that we are fighting for. That is why I’m shouting because I know that contesting and failing has serious consequences.”

Soludo charged all parties in the coalition to go out and scout for votes to ensure a resounding victory for Tinubu on 16 January 2026.

He said parties must adopt a door to door campaign strategy to be able to reach undecided voters, insisting that securing victory for Tinubu in Anambra will give the state the right to negotiate for favours in his second term. He also scored the president high on projects being done in the state, saying only victory will give him the courage to complete the projects when he returns.

“Tinubu is doing many projects in Anambra State. We want to support him to ensure that he returns to complete them. There are numerous other projects that we would want him to do, but you can only ask for them if you are a member of the inner chamber.

“We need to partner with federal government for some projects. Our roads need to be motorable, there is the gas pipeline project, rail project, erosion menace. Some of these are not things a state can take on with just FAAC, and the only way the federal government can come to our aid is if we are partners,” Soludo said.