Soludo Warns Igbos Against ‘Wasted Votes’ on Atiku, Obi, Others; Backs Tinubu Victory Again

Governor Chukwuma Soludo has urged voters in Nigeria’s South-East to align their electoral choices with President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general election, warning against what he described as “wasted votes” on opposition candidates.

The governor made the remarks in a video shared on the official X handle of the Anambra State Government on Saturday, where he addressed voters in the region in Igbo.

He questioned whether the South-East would make its votes count in the next election cycle or repeat past patterns of political fragmentation.

“People of South-East, are you here? Will your vote count for next year? Or will you throw it away? Our votes must count this time around because ultimately, the progressives are working together,” he said.

Soludo anchored his argument on what he described as the practical nature of Nigerian politics, stressing that electoral outcomes depend on negotiation and alignment rather than entitlement.

“In politics, you don’t get what you deserve, you get what you bargain for. You bargain with your votes because it’s about votes,” he said. He also recalled making similar remarks during his inauguration, where he expressed concern that the region might continue to lose political leverage through divided voting patterns.

The governor directly referenced former presidential candidates Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar, describing votes for them and other contenders outside the governing structure as “wasted votes.”

His comments come against the backdrop of the 2023 presidential election, in which Obi secured a strong showing in the South-East but finished third nationally with 6,101,533 votes. Atiku came second with 6,984,520 votes, while Tinubu won the election with 8,794,726 votes.