2027: “Tinubu, Soludo Not Progressives” – Jega

Political analyst Mahmud Jega has questioned whether President Bola Tinubu and Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo can truly be considered progressives. Speaking on Arise News on Wednesday, Jega said progressive politics is typically left-leaning and people-oriented, contrasting sharply with the right-wing economic policies pursued by the All Progressives Congress (APC) over the past two years.

Jega noted that it would be difficult for Soludo to claim his support for President Tinubu stems from shared progressive values. The governor, a former Central Bank of Nigeria governor and internationally recognized economist, has openly described Tinubu as a friend of 22 years and expressed unwavering support for the president and his reforms. Soludo recently visited Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, donning a cap bearing the president’s insignia.

The remarks come as the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), the ruling party in Anambra, announced it may not field a presidential candidate in the 2027 general elections. The party, through national chairman Sly Ezeokenwa, said the final decision rests with its National Executive Committee but emphasized that presenting a candidate is not mandatory. APGA indicated it might align with “progressives who share its ideology.”

Jega warned that APGA could face consequences for opting out of the presidential race, recalling the 2003 experience of the Alliance for Democracy, which lost control of most of the southwestern states after not fielding a candidate against then-President Olusegun Obasanjo. He suggested APGA’s current approach might be aimed at securing APC’s support for Soludo’s reelection while retaining control of Anambra State.