“I’ll Defeat Soludo Even If Court Declares Me APC Candidate Two Weeks to Election” – Ozigbo

Valentine Ozigbo, a governorship aspirant under the All Progressives Congress (APC), has expressed confidence that he can defeat the incumbent governor of Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, if the court rules in his favour and replaces Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu with him as the party’s candidate, even if the judgment comes just two weeks before the November 8 election.

Ozigbo, who is challenging Ukachukwu’s candidacy in court after disputing the outcome of the APC primary, insisted that the timing of the judgment will not deter his chances at the polls. Speaking at Lagos Airport during an interview with media personality Uche Nworah, he said Anambra people are eager for his leadership and that the electorate already expects him to step in and fix the state.

He criticized Soludo for acting as though he has no real opposition, adding that Anambra people want a leader who can be trusted beyond manifestos. According to Ozigbo, governance requires emotional intelligence and character, not just lofty campaign promises. He dismissed Soludo’s earlier vision of turning Anambra into an “African Dubai Taiwan,” arguing that the governor has failed to deliver on that agenda.

Ozigbo said he is better prepared because he understands both his strengths and weaknesses, unlike Soludo who, in his view, should not have been entrusted with power in the first place. He emphasized that his background as an investor gives him a realistic perspective on leadership, stressing that “if you invest in the wrong person, you are finished.”

On the possibility of supporting Ukachukwu should the case not go his way, Ozigbo made it clear he would not back him, noting that if the party insists on sticking with the wrong choice, he will let them face the consequences, though he will not leave the APC. He recalled that many criticized him for leaving the Labour Party, but he maintained that joining the APC has been one of the best decisions of his political career.