2027: Soludo’s Tinubu Backing Opens Fresh Political Battle With Obi In Anambra

The political relationship between Governor Chukwuma Soludo and former Anambra Governor Peter Obi is taking on a new dimension as both figures align with opposing presidential camps ahead of the 2027 election.

Soludo has openly backed President Bola Tinubu for a second term, while Obi is the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress.

The development has added a political dimension to the latest dispute between Obi and the Anambra State Government over the state’s financial records.

Speaking on TVC News’ Beyond the Headlines, Soludo’s Senior Special Assistant on Media, Ebuka Oyekelu, said the governor’s decision had changed the political landscape ahead of the election.

He said the 2027 presidential contest in Anambra would not be “business as usual”.

“2027 is going to be contested,” Oyekelu said.

He argued that the decision by the political leadership of a state to back a presidential candidate would have implications for the political contest.

Soludo had earlier said in March that his party, the All Progressives Grand Alliance, would not field a presidential candidate in 2027 and would support the party at the centre.

He subsequently canvassed support for Tinubu.

Obi, meanwhile, is seeking the presidency for a second consecutive election cycle, this time on the NDC platform.

INEC’s final list of candidates for the January 16, 2027 presidential election confirms Obi, Tinubu and other major contenders.

The shift is significant for Anambra because Obi remains a major political figure in the state and the South-East, following his strong performance in the region during the 2023 presidential election.

Oyekelu said Soludo’s support for Tinubu represented a clear political choice and predicted a more competitive contest in the state.

However, his assessment of how voters will respond remains a political claim rather than an established electoral outcome.

The political differences between the two former governors have also become increasingly visible in the current dispute over Anambra’s finances.

Obi has challenged the state government’s claims about debts allegedly inherited from his administration, while Soludo’s government says it is simply responding to a public challenge and presenting records to set the financial record straight.

With the presidential field now formally established, the dispute over Obi’s record in office and Soludo’s support for Tinubu are likely to remain part of the wider political conversation in Anambra as the 2027 election approaches.