By Isotonu Dulue
Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, CFR, has completely changed the tenor of politics in Anambra State. While the pretenders are practicing politics of handouts, Soludo is principally interested in what he terms “Politics of Development”.
His first term in office has been a breathless charge of development across the three senatorial zones of the state. There ought to be no argument over the fact that politics geared toward development must perforce trump the facetious politics built on handing out freebies. The solid stance on development that is quite different from the fleeting nature of ill-assorted politicians bribing voters with handouts which is usually common when elections are afoot can be seen as marking Governor Soludo out as one leader who has his finger on the pulse of the progress of the people.
Anambra State must not return to the debilitating politics of the handout of freebies that the discredited political strugglers are touting. The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) which is synonymous with Anambra State stands in good stead with the drive of development, and the tradition over the years have had it engraved in the party’s progressive agenda. Under Governor Soludo’s watch, that tradition is not just sustained but is maximally notched up in his People’s Manifesto. It is therefore no surprise that with Soludo’s developmental leadership drive, Ndi-Anambra are in fine fettle with the understanding of what it takes to reap the real dividends of democracy through their teeming support of APGA, the party that has consistently put smiles on their faces. The reality today is that Governor Soludo has turned the entirety of Anambra State into vast construction sites.
Soludo, according to verifiable records, dedicates 77 percent of his budget to capital expenditure. He does more with less, and ensures that the taxes being paid by Ndi-Anambra are made to work for them. To cap it all up, he has not borrowed a kobo since he came into office. Due to his highly cherished politics of development, Soludo enjoys overwhelming approval rating, thus giving him an edge and deserving of re-election for a second term in office. His unprecedented universal approval rating as per the coming Anambra State gubernatorial election billed for November 8, 2025 is akin to making him the consensus candidate. Soludo’s stellar scorecard puts him out of sight ahead of any intending contender as the vote of confidence of Ndi Anambra across the globe is guaranteed.
The crème de la crème of Ndi Anambra within and outside the state have been reviewing the scorecard of Prof Soludo, and from all indications have unanimously returned a resounding vote of confidence. It’s indeed remarkable that the principal figures in the opposition parties are not left out in the endorsement of the re-election of Governor Soludo.
A typical example is the former Governor of Anambra State, former Senator and former Minister, Dr. Chris Nwabueze Ngige, who in our local parlance, told Governor Soludo at the recent Abuja town-hall meeting: “Carry go!”
Actually, Dr. Ngige revealed that he had been begged by the remaining miniscule of APC faithful in Anambra State not to endorse Governor Soludo. The irrepressible Dr. Ngige addressed Governor Soludo pointedly at the Abuja town-hall meeting by saying that he had gone to Anambra to see things for himself thusly: “I came. I saw. But I did not conquer. I confirmed. Odenigbo, carry go!”
Before the Lagos and Abuja town-hall meetings where Governor Soludo went to present his scorecard to his people, there was an avalanche of endorsements by wide-ranging organizations, from students, youths and scores of support groups.
This is beyond politics, as even students were among groups contributing money to persuade Governor Soludo to purchase the nomination form and contest the election. The progressive governor in tandem with the people’s will expectedly accepted to run, given the vote of confidence pouring in from the people. It’s not in the constitution of Mr. Governor not to answer the call of the people.
The esteemed Vanguard newspaper honoured Governor Soludo as the Vanguard Governor of the Year for Good Governance. The stakeholders of Anambra North Senatorial Zone organised a huge rally in which they bestowed Governor Soludo with the title of “Oluatuegwu”, to wit, “He who is not afraid of duty”.
With the teeming endorsements galore, Governor Soludo’s re-election stays quite certain. It can be safely deduced that there is no opposition for Governor Soludo in Anambra State, as had been earlier stated by the Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, who like Dr. Ngige is a prominent APC leader.
Ndi-Anambra at home and abroad are telling the opposition candidates seeking to take over the government in Anambra to tarry till 2029. With their resounding vote of confidence on the performing Solution Government of Governor Soludo, Anambra people have handed a fresh mandate in advance – to be validated on November 8.
The vote of confidence from home and abroad is a clear way of saying again and again: there is no vacancy in Awka Government House, aptly coded as The Light House, which he built by breaking a 34-year-old jinx.
As the saying goes, if it is not broken, why mend it?
Even as the election gong has sounded, Soludo is still maintaining his speed in the politics of development and execution. Just the other week, the Anambra State Executive Council (ANSEC), chaired by Governor Soludo, approved new contracts worth over ₦9.7 billion for infrastructure development and key social reform programmes aimed at improving the state’s physical landscape and restoring societal values.
Governor Soludo is forever a winner as attested to by the ever grateful constituents of Anambra State.
Dulue, an Economist, writes from Awka.
