By Tony Okafor
The insinuation in some quarters that Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, will become despotic in his second term is neither here nor there, because governance is a continuous negotiation between a leader and the society he serves.
Soludo, both as a scholar and a politician, understands this more than most.
As Anambra prepares for the commencement of his second term on 17 March 2026, there is no reason for fear, panic or apprehension among the people.
The concerns raised—whether about his temperament, revenue enforcement styles, Ndi Aka Ọdọ, or other issues—should not be interpreted as signs that the next four years will be hostile or oppressive.
Power in Nigeria is never absolute. It rotates, expires, and constantly requires the goodwill of those who give legitimacy to it.
Soludo knows that everybody he met on his way up—journalists, political leaders, church authorities, business figures, traditional rulers, unions, youth groups—is the same set of people he will meet after office.
No leader burns the bridges he will need to cross later in life. Even after his second term, he will still need these people for relevance, for national roles, for legacy protection, and for continued influence in the political space.
More importantly, Soludo is not a conventional politician who chases raw power for its own sake; he is a global academic whose life’s work is tied to reputation.
A scholar values legacy more than force. A second term governed by fear, vendetta or arrogance would permanently stain the name he has spent decades building—and he knows this.
For someone with a distinguished academic career and international stature, legacy will discipline power far more effectively than political pressure.
The mandate he received from the electorate is also a development mandate. The roads, schools, hospitals, water projects, youth programmes and infrastructural upgrades carried him into victory.
The voters essentially told him: continue the work. He cannot discard that message in pursuit of personal battles. He must leave the Anambra political field stable and peaceful.
Beyond politics, Anambra society itself is too enlightened, vocal and assertive for any form of autocratic leadership to thrive.
The state has a strong elite, outspoken clergy, active traditional rulers, vibrant youths and a civil society space that reacts immediately to any overreach.
No governor can bulldoze his way through such a sophisticated environment. Soludo is fully aware of these limits, and these limits will shape his conduct.
The paradox is that even his strongest critics admit that he will likely deliver more development—more roads, better hospitals, improved transportation, expanded housing, cleaner cities, more skills acquisition and climate-conscious policies.
Expectations can be powerful restraints; they encourage responsibility and moderation.
Nobody should panic. Instead, Anambra should remain watchful but optimistic—confident that the future will be shaped not by fear, but by engagement, accountability and the shared desire for a better state.
