As the November 8th governorship election draws near, a familiar game of political marketing is unfolding across Anambra. Suddenly, a chorus of voices is urging Ndi Anambra to abandon APGA, their own political identity, in favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC), promising miracles, connections to Abuja, and transformation overnight. But for those who have followed Nigerian politics with clear eyes, this is not a new song—it’s a remix of old, tired promises dressed in fresh wrappers.
They say APGA has failed and that one-party dominance has led to stagnation. But Ndi Anambra are living witnesses to the reality on the ground. Under Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, critical infrastructure projects have come alive in every part of the state. From the urban renewal of Awka to the transformation of roads across hard-to-reach communities like Anambra West and Ogbaru, Soludo is not campaigning with posters—he’s campaigning with projects.
Just last year, over 400 kilometers of roads were under construction simultaneously, many of them already completed and commissioned. Health and education sectors are receiving historic investments, with thousands of teachers recruited to rebuild Anambra’s educational pride. This is not the work of a party resting on its oars; it’s the work of a leadership genuinely committed to results.
Of course, APC’s marketers claim they have the magic wand in Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu, portraying him as the next Messiah. But Ndi Anambra are not new to sweet-talking politicians who appear every election season like seasonal traders in Onitsha Main Market. Where was this passionate commitment to Anambra’s future all these years? Politics is not a hobby to be picked up when convenient—it’s a sacrifice of consistent service. Dr. Ukachukwu’s political history in Anambra tells a different story: one of endless gubernatorial contests with no tangible legacy in governance or grassroots development to point to. Talk is cheap; history is expensive.
Then comes the loudest argument from APC loyalists—that Anambra must “join the center” to enjoy development. They parade APC’s control of the federal government as a golden ticket, as though it automatically brings prosperity. But Ndi Anambra have seen through that illusion. If belonging to the ruling party at the center guaranteed progress, why are many APC states across Nigeria still languishing in poverty and insecurity? Why do we still see federal roads in APC states as death traps despite federal budgets? Development does not come by waving party flags; it comes by electing competent, visionary leaders.
They often point to Lagos as an example of APC’s success. But Lagos didn’t succeed because of APC; Lagos succeeded because of leaders—from Tinubu to Fashola, Ambode to Sanwo-Olu—who built structures, institutions, and long-term plans. Lagos would have thrived regardless of party colour because of the quality of leadership. Meanwhile, there are APC governors today presiding over decay, confusion, and unpaid salaries. Party affiliation doesn’t build hospitals, roads, or schools. Leadership does.
Even here in the Southeast, we see the truth. Enugu, governed by PDP, has made steady progress, not because of party favours from Abuja, but because of committed leadership at home. And let’s not forget the APC’s own games with the Southeast over the years—dangling the Second Niger Bridge for political mileage, weaponizing appointments, and treating the region as a political afterthought except during elections. Ndi Anambra have not forgotten.
What Anambra needs is not Abuja connections but competence, and Soludo has shown that competence doesn’t require party handshakes in Aso Rock to deliver. Through personal credibility, he has unlocked federal partnerships, secured national approvals, and positioned Anambra as a reference point for fiscal prudence and developmental planning. With limited resources, Soludo’s APGA government is achieving what many federal-backed APC states cannot. That’s the evidence Ndi Anambra see with their own eyes.
The APC says it wants to rebuild Anambra’s identity. But who damaged it? Who ignored the Southeast for years, only to return at election time with desperate promises? APGA is not perfect, but it is homegrown. It is the platform through which Ndi Anambra have found political expression since the days of Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu. And now, with Soludo proving that brains, not slogans, bring development, abandoning that path for uncertain experiments is not wisdom—it’s political suicide.
The call for Ndi Anambra to switch parties now is not a call for change—it’s a call for confusion. Anambra doesn’t need to start afresh every four years with new trial-and-error politicians. What Ndi Anambra need now is consolidation, not experimentation. They need leadership that understands the terrain and has earned respect nationally through performance—not empty political promises.
On November 8th, Ndi Anambra must look beyond sweet words and media packaging. They must vote for visible, measurable, verifiable progress. They must reject distractions in favour of a future already taking shape before their eyes. APGA is not just a party; it is an identity tied to the aspirations of Ndi Igbo. Soludo is not just a governor; he is the architect of the new Anambra already emerging.
This election is not about Abuja; it’s about Awka, Nnewi, Onitsha, Ihiala, Aguleri…., every community and markets, schools, and hospitals being rebuilt today. Ndi Anambra must hold onto what is working and reject what is uncertain. The future is here. The time to protect it is now.
