The National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Sylvester Ezeokenwa, has revealed that Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, encouraged former Anambra governor, Peter Obi, to return to APGA and pursue his presidential ambition, even if victory was not guaranteed.
Ezeokenwa disclosed this during a discussion on the political relationship between Soludo and Obi in a video published by Arise News on October 10, 2026.
According to him, the conversation took place after Obi reportedly declared his presidential ambition before traditional rulers in Anambra State.
The APGA chairman explained that Soludo believed Obi’s return to the party could strengthen its political influence across the South-East and position it as a formidable force in Nigeria’s political landscape.
He said the governor encouraged Obi to look beyond the immediate prospect of winning the presidency and consider the long-term benefits of building a strong regional political platform.
Ezeokenwa noted that a politically influential regional party could enhance the South-East’s bargaining power at the national level, create opportunities for strategic alliances and improve the region’s participation in national decision-making.
To illustrate his argument, the APGA chairman cited the political journey of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who consolidated his influence in the South-West through the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) before entering into an alliance with the late President Muhammadu Buhari, who enjoyed substantial political support in the North.
The alliance contributed to the formation of the All Progressives Congress (APC), which defeated the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2015 presidential election.
Ezeokenwa’s comparison underscored the importance of building a strong regional political base and forging strategic alliances as pathways to achieving national political influence.
The APGA chairman also dismissed suggestions that the party had never offered Obi a political platform, maintaining that APGA was an option available to the former governor before he eventually pursued his presidential ambition under the Labour Party.
He further stressed that APGA was determined to protect and strengthen its political relevance amid evolving alliances and competition among political parties.
According to Ezeokenwa, the disagreements surrounding APGA and Obi should not be reduced to a personal conflict between Soludo and the former presidential candidate, but should instead be viewed within the broader context of political strategy, regional interests and the future of party development in Nigeria.
He maintained that building a strong regional party could provide the South-East with greater political leverage and a stronger voice in national affairs, regardless of the outcome of an individual presidential election.
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