Gov. Soludo at Halftime: Reviving Igbo spirit of enterprise

On November 8, 2025, Anambra voters will head to the polls in a contest that pits the incumbent governor, Prof. Charles Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) against three notable challengers: Nicholas Ukachukwu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), George Moghalu of the Labour Party (LP), and Ezenwafor Jude of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The election is widely expected to be a referendum on Soludo’s three-year stewardship as governor and a litmus test for Anambra’s well-entrenched zoning arrangement. But on both counts, it increasingly appears to be a mere formality. Soludo is all but certain to secure a second term, bolstered by a track record of visible performance, a favourable zoning rotation, and a cordial relationship with Abuja, typified by President Bola Tinubu’s recent visit to the state.

Tinubu remains unpopular in Anambra and the rest of South East, a zone he has also given the least in terms of strategic appointments. Soludo’s cordial relationship with the president may offer little in terms of direct electoral value, but in a political environment where federal might can significantly influence electoral outcomes, it remains a considerable advantage.

Scorecard of Projects

By the governor’s own account, his administration has built over 500km of roads, multiple flyovers and bridges, five new general hospitals, a world-class trauma centre, smart schools, water projects, new markets, a bus terminal, an 8-lane boulevard, and monuments, such as the Tower of Light and the Monument of Heroes.

Entrance to Soludo Fun City

Residents generally confirm these claims. “Soludo is building many roads. Many have been completed; others are ongoing,” said Ngozi Ezenwa, a trader in Nnobi, a town close to Nnewi.

“He will return because if he doesn’t, the next governor might abandon the projects.”

This sentiment echoes broadly across the state, where physical infrastructure remains a key yardstick for assessing governors. Soludo has also ramped up the state’s internally generated revenue (IGR) from around N1.5 billion under his predecessor, Willie Obiano, to over N5.2 billion monthly—no mean feat in a state and zone with deeply entrenched tax resistance history.

Still, with an annual internally generated revenue of just over N60 billion, Anambra remains far from its full potential. The state has the sixth-largest GDP in Nigeria at N5.14 trillion and is second only to Lagos in the proportion of rich households (60.4% vs Lagos’ 71.9%). It is home to two major commercial centres: Onitsha and Nnewi. Soludo’s IGR feat is commendable, though the use of touts in revenue collection has drawn public ire due to harassment and extortion.

In recent times, insecurity became a major challenge in Anambra, with kidnappers and cultists wreaking havoc across the state. And native doctors luring young people into money rituals. In response, Gov. Soludo established the Agunechemba security outfit and launched Operation Udo Ga-achi.

The initiative has yielded results, with a significant drop in kidnapping incidents. Several native doctors have also been arrested and are facing trial. However, there have been troubling reports of extrajudicial killings involving some members of the security operatives.

Christian Aburime, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, told Business Hallmark that the issue is being adequately addressed. “On the issue of insecurity, Mr. Governor has addressed it, and you can see that insecurity has drastically reduced,” he said.

“In the isolated cases where you have some members of this security set up going beyond their rules of engagement, that’s been handled. We’re making sure that those who are supposed to protect people don’t take the law into their hands. It’s being handled at the appropriate quarters, and I’m very confident that such incident will not repeat itself.”

Opponents Have No Chance

For Soludo’s opponents, the road to Agu Awka seems closed. Business Hallmark interviews with residents in Awka, Onitsha, and Nnewi suggest his challengers lack traction.

Road leading to Ekwueme Square, Awka, constructed by Soludo

“Who is Nicholas Ukachukwu?” asked Emeka Egede, a trader at Onitsha Main Market. “I don’t know him.” The PDP, beset by internal crises, has only recently produced a candidate but has little influence in the state.

Valentine Ozigbo, the PDP’s 2021 runner-up, now in APC after a stint in Labour Party, where he worked closely with Peter Obi, insists he is the only candidate who could unseat Soludo. He accuses Ukachukwu of being a plant sponsored by Soludo to fracture the APC’s prospects.

Ozigbo may not be far off. APGA has a history of aligning with ruling parties at the centre – starting with Goodluck Jonathan in 2011. In turn, the federal ruling parties often soft-pedal their own campaigns in Anambra. For the 2027 presidential election, APGA has already endorsed President Tinubu, underscoring the mutually beneficial relationship.

Soludo himself once ran for governor in 2010 under the PDP platform, drawing on his success as Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor. But he was trounced by then-incumbent Peter Obi of APGA, who was seeking re-election after an impressive, albeit turbulent, first term.

That defeat was due, in part, to two key factors: the powerful intervention of the late Biafran leader, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, who pacified aggrieved stakeholders angered by Obi’s austerity; and the political dynamics following President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s illness and death. Soludo, allegedly being groomed to replace Jonathan as vice president, lost critical federal support when Jonathan assumed the presidency and instead backed Obi.

Soludo’s perceived bitterness toward Jonathan became evident in the buildup to the 2015 elections, when he penned scathing articles attacking the president despite a healthy economy boasting 6.3% GDP growth in 2014.

Ironically, Soludo would maintain a cordial relationship with Buhari – under whom Nigeria entered two recessions – and was appointed to Buhari’s Economic Advisory Council in 2019.

Under Tinubu, Nigeria’s economic woes have deepened, with the naira crashing from N700 to N1,600 following the removal of fuel subsidy and currency floatation. Yet, Soludo’s only memorable intervention in recent times remains a 2022 critique of Peter Obi, whose popularity among Igbo and broader Nigerian electorates have risen in recent years.

Political Trade-offs

Soludo’s recent endorsement of Tinubu during the president’s visit to Anambra appears to confirm Ozigbo’s claim that the APC is not seriously contesting the state. Still, as Aburime puts it: “APGA in Anambra has a policy of always working with the federal government… We know President Bola Tinubu is a democrat and will allow a level playing field.”

Aburime contends that Soludo has not only earned a second term but deserves commendation for transforming Anambra across key sectors.

“To say he has done enough is an understatement. He’s built 756km of roads, introduced free education across primary and secondary schools, and made antenatal care and delivery—including caesarean sections—completely free,” Aburime said. “Over 5,000 youths have been empowered through the One Youth 2Skills programme, with thousands more currently undergoing training.”

Opponents like Ozigbo have found little traction. Many voters no longer remember him, while others deride his decision to abandon Obi for the APC. On social media platform X, formerly Twitter, Ozigbo had to disable replies following a torrent of abuse from Obi supporters.

“Ozigbo has shown himself to be an opportunist,” said Chidi Nwafor, a trader in Awka. “Without Obi, he’s nobody in Anambra politics.”

In addition to performance, zoning also favours Soludo. With the return of democracy in 1999, Chinwoke Mbadinuju from the Anambra South Senatorial District became governor. However, he served only one term, as his poor performance in office and a fallout with his political godfather, Emeka Offor, cost him the PDP gubernatorial ticket. Dr. Chris Ngige from the Central Senatorial Zone emerged as the party’s candidate and was declared winner of the 2003 governorship election.

Ngige governed until 2006, when Obi successfully challenged his victory in court and assumed office. Obi, also from Anambra Central, served two terms before handing over to Willie Obiano from Anambra North. Obiano, in turn, handed over to Charles Soludo from Anambra South.

The informal power-sharing arrangement in the state suggests that Soludo is expected to complete eight years in office, after which the governorship is expected to rotate back to the Central zone in 2031.

“For us, zoning must be respected,” said Nwafor, who originally is from Nibo. “Soludo should finish his eight years. Then it will be our turn again.”

Across the state, Soludo’s signature is visible. Awka now wears the look of a proper state capital. In Nnewi, long-neglected roads are being expanded despite heavy compensation claims.

“He has gone far beyond his manifesto,” said Law Mefor, the state commissioner for information in an interview with Business Hallmark. “We now have a proper Government House with over 50 buildings—a tourist site in its own right.”

He highlighted the Solution Fun City, described as West Africa’s biggest leisure complex, and upcoming projects like a 10-storey Marriott International Hotel that could further position Awka as a hospitality hub.

Development of the State

“Anambra was created in 1991, yet until now, there was no proper Government House. Today, we have a brand-new Government House—arguably the most impressive in Nigeria. It’s a sprawling complex with over 50 buildings. There’s the Governor’s Office, a new secretariat, a presidential lodge for visiting dignitaries, a banquet hall, a government theatre, and commissioners’ quarters. It’s more than an administrative centre—it’s a potential tourist attraction. I call it “Obi Anambra.”

“Then there’s the Solution Fun City in Awka, the biggest in West Africa. It’s a four-in-one project comprising an amusement park, a water park, a family fun house, and a country club. It offers a one-stop leisure experience for children, families, business elites, and tourists alike. It’s Governor Soludo’s signature style—big ideas executed with excellence.

“And that’s just the beginning. Coming up next is a Marriott International Hotel—Anambra’s first five-star hotel and the first of its kind in the entire Southeast. It’s a 10-storey building and will further position Awka as a leisure and business hub.”

Still, even with all these, Soludo’s critics argue that his legacy may be marred by his petty political squabbles—especially his apparent obsession with undermining Peter Obi. While other political regions build coalitions along ethnic and regional lines, the South East remains splintered, often pitting individual egos against collective interest.

Soludo has exemplified this tendency more than anyone in recent memory, consistently taking swipes at Obi – often in needlessly pointed terms. He seldom misses a chance to undercut Obi’s legacy. For instance, when announcing plans to restore electricity to the Uli campus of the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, he was quick to stress that it comes after 21 years of blackout – an implicit jab at Obi’s administration.

When Obi’s widely acknowledged strides in education are mentioned—such as moving Anambra from 26th to 1st place in WAEC rankings by 2014—Soludo counters by highlighting that 77 communities in the state still lack public schools. And if Obi is praised for improving Anambra’s Human Development Index (HDI) ranking, Soludo retorts that poverty doubled in the state under Obi’s watch, always adding that he has verified data, but chooses not to disclose it “out of modesty.”

Politics or Personality

This sustained habit of attacking Obi—who has largely chosen to ignore him—has only reinforced perceptions of Soludo as a petty and bitter figure, undeserving of serious Igbo political leadership. Once highly regarded, he is now increasingly seen across the South East as a small-minded politician. Much like Rochas Okorocha, who was once seen as a national Igbo leader, and who rode that momentum to take power in Imo State in 2011 under APGA, only to miscalculate by turning against the popular Goodluck Jonathan in 2013 to join the emergent APC, Soludo risks fading into political irrelevance after his eight-year tenure as governor.

President Tinubu’s recent visit was meant to showcase Soludo’s achievements. Instead, it became another opportunity for the governor to take jabs at Obi. Speaking during the visit, he claimed that, “the last state visit by a President was in 2012, ostensibly to commission a brewery and another private enterprise.” An apparent dig at Obi under whose stewardship, SABMiller Plc built a brewery in Onitsha

But the claim is largely incorrect. Not only did President Jonathan, who visited Anambra to commission the project in 2012 commission a number of other projects, President Buhari, Jonathan’s successor also visited Anambra in 2019 under Obiano, during which he commissioned the Nnamdi Azikiwe Mausoleum.

“I was just praying Soludo doesn’t disgrace us again. And he didn’t disappoint,” said Uche Okoye, MD of Digital Media Inc. “His statement shows deep insecurity. His inferiority complex is embarrassing.”

Continuing, Okoye, said, “It is a terrible thing and I don’t think I want to be in his shoes, because his constant poking on Peter Obi is shameful and disgusting at this point. I’m really ashamed on his behalf. Sab Miller remains the biggest investment to ever been attracted to the East of Niger.

“Meanwhile during the last visit of the former president GEJ, he commissioned the following: Orient Petroleum Oil, Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing, SabMiller Brewery, Orange Drugs Company, Krisoral Company, Onitsha Inland Port, 10 lanes Onitsha Head Bridge, Enugu-Onitsha expressway, Anambra State University Teaching Hospital, Anambra State Secretariat, Kenneth Dike Library, Anambra State Emergency Management Complex, Parental Drugs Factory of Juhel Pharmaceuticals. Etc.

“These were projects and businesses Peter Obi attracted to the states. Till date, no other company bigger than these companies are establishing in the state. Soludo is building self glorifying structures named after him. Like Solution Fun City, first ever government house, first ever public toilet etc.

Soludo should tell us the business he has attracted in the state. He should tell us what he’s doing to ensure business activities in the state is smooth and friendly. He’s building a new industrial clusters whereas the existing ones are abandoned. He’s interested in building things that will give his flat ego some air. If he is not visibly imprinted on the project, he’s not interested.

“This is the solution they are force-feeding us in the state. Nothing makes my heart bleeds than watching this mediocrity on display in our dear state Anambra. Most of us never bargained for this, we don’t deserve this type of market-women-gossiping-mediocrity. We need serious business and economic investment in our state not Ịkọ́ ọnụ na ịkụ asịlị.”

Objective Reality

For all Soludo’s brilliance, his legacy may depend not just on roads and buildings, but also on whether he can transcend petty politics and embrace the unifying leadership expected of a statesman from the Southeast.

“True, if not for education, this man (Soludo) would probably be back in the village, handing out nsi na aja (poison) to unsuspecting children and ambitious youths,” said Charles Ogbu, another social media influencer.

“You know the type – those venomously dark-hearted native doctors straight out of Nollywood, always ready with poison for any young person who dares to drive a decent car into the village or attempts to start a building project. That’s exactly the energy he gives off. Such a little-minded victim of his own esteem living in perpetual fear of Peter Obi’s legacy.”

Like Okoye and Ogbu, many others took to social media to lampoon the governor. Nedu Ani, @Nedumcity, another popular X user wondered why he failed to discuss serious issues that affect the South East, but opted to use the president’s visit to make comparisons with Obi.

“Did Soludo discuss about the Onitsha inland port? No. Did Soludo discuss linking Onitsha, Nnewi and other parts of the state and region with a rail? No. Did Soludo discuss the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu? No,” he wondered.

“Did Soludo discuss the insecurity and over 200 roadblocks in Anambra State? No. Did Soludo discuss the Anambra section of the less than 120km Enugu/Onitsha dual carriageway linking both state capitals that has not been completed in over 25 years? No.

“Did Soludo discuss on investing and FG patronizing made in Anambra @innosonvehicles? No. So what did Soludo discuss with Bola Tinubu??? Peter Obi, Peter Obi, Peter Obi!!!