Popular Aguleri-born musician, Obiora Okonkwo, professionally known as Obi Foreign, has publicly declared his full support for Governor Charles Soludo’s re-election bid, stating that the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has been “the best thing that ever happened to him” throughout his musical career.
Speaking at an event held in Umueze Anam, Anambra West Local Government Area, to welcome new members into APGA, Obi Foreign credited the party’s administrations with transforming his fortunes. “Under APGA administration, I now have a car and three motorcycles during Chief Willie Obiano’s tenure and under Governor Soludo,” he revealed to the gathering.
The musician’s endorsement comes at a crucial moment as Governor Soludo prepares for the November 8, 2025, gubernatorial election, having secured APGA’s ticket unopposed in the party’s primary election held in April 2025. Soludo, a former Central Bank Governor, first assumed office in March 2022 after winning the 2021 election with 24 per cent of votes cast, continuing a remarkable political dynasty that has seen APGA maintain unbroken control of Anambra State for nearly two decades.
This dominance began under Peter Obi’s administration and continued seamlessly through Willie Obiano’s eight-year tenure from 2014 to 2022. Political analysts have described APGA as “a way of life for Ndi-Anambra,” reflecting the party’s deep-rooted connection with the state’s electorate. During Obiano’s remarkable tenure, the former governor achieved a historic feat by winning all 21 local government areas in his 2017 re-election bid, demonstrating the breadth of APGA’s support across every corner of the state.
Building on this legacy of success, Governor Soludo has expressed unwavering confidence about his prospects in the upcoming election. Speaking on television recently, he dismissed opposition parties, particularly the All Progressives Congress (APC), stating they “lack the foundation to win in the state.” The governor has further characterised his opponents as ‘opportunists merely angling for political appointments and public attention, not serious contenders for leadership,” according to recent reports.
This confidence appears to resonate strongly with supporters like Obi Foreign, who emphasised the critical importance of political continuity during the Umueze Anam gathering. “Governor Soludo must be re-elected to complete his two terms and that others could contest afterwards. But he must be allowed to finish the good works he is doing in Anambra,” the musician declared, echoing a broader narrative within APGA about the necessity of sustained development programmes across successive administrations.
Such sentiment reflects the party’s consistent messaging about long-term governance, with supporters frequently pointing to infrastructure projects and economic initiatives that span multiple gubernatorial terms as compelling evidence of effective leadership. This approach has proven remarkably successful for APGA, whose consistent electoral victories in Anambra contrast sharply with the party’s limited success in other southeastern states, making Anambra its primary and most reliable political stronghold.
The party’s ability to retain power through multiple election cycles, surviving various political upheavals that have affected other regional parties, has been viewed by political observers as a testament to its exceptional organisational strength within the state. This stability has created an environment where figures from various sectors, including the entertainment industry, feel comfortable publicly aligning themselves with the governing party.
The upcoming November 8, 2025 gubernatorial election will therefore serve as another critical test of this enduring political relationship. Governor Soludo will seek a second four-year term whilst facing candidates from various opposition parties, in a contest that electoral observers expect to be closely watched as a definitive measure of APGA’s continued relevance in Anambra politics.
Should Soludo prove successful in November, he would join the distinguished ranks of previous APGA governors who secured second terms, following the constitutional precedent set by both Peter Obi and Willie Obiano, each of whom served the maximum two terms allowed under Nigeria’s constitution. The endorsement by entertainment figures like Obi Foreign reflects the broader cultural and social dimensions of political campaigning in Nigeria, where celebrity endorsements often play increasingly significant roles in voter mobilisation efforts, particularly among younger demographics who form a crucial part of the electorate.
