Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo has argued that support from the Southeast for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election could help build political backing in the Southwest for an eventual Igbo presidency.
Political bargaining over the presidency
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In a video message to his supporters, Soludo said the presidency is determined through dialogue, alliances and political understandings.
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He said that with Tinubu, who is from Nigeria’s Southwest, currently holding office, the Southeast should support his bid for a second term.
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Soludo said that after power later shifts to the North and subsequently returns to the South, the Southwest would be positioned to support a presidential candidate from the Igbo-speaking Southeast.
“The presidency is about discussion and agreement,” Soludo said, adding that backing Tinubu now could create a reciprocal arrangement for an Igbo candidate when the political cycle returns to southern Nigeria.
Southeast campaign for the office
The Southeast has continued to press for a turn at the presidency. In the 2023 election, Peter Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, sought the office as the Labour Party’s candidate.
Obi finished third in the contest. He nevertheless maintained that he had won the election and alleged that his victory was taken from him.
