Okechukwu Congratulates Soludo, Says Anambra Poll Proves Nigeria Not Drifting Toward One-Party State

A foundation member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Osita Okechukwu, has congratulated Anambra State Governor, Professor Charles Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), on his reelection victory, while commending President Bola Tinubu for ensuring a free and fair process.

Okechukwu said Soludo’s victory in last Saturday’s Anambra governorship election was proof that Nigeria was not gravitating towards a one-party state, as speculated in some quarters.

He noted that several people had alleged that the APC and President Tinubu would manipulate the outcome of the election in favour of the ruling party, adding that the results had disproved such claims.

The former Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON) stated this while speaking with journalists on Sunday in Abuja.

Okechukwu said the recent wave of defections into the APC was not evidence of an attempt to create a one-party state, but rather a reflection of the opposition’s internal crisis and the appeal of President Tinubu’s administration.

He attributed the defections to what he described as the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) “unforced error” in violating the zoning convention, and the APC’s growing popularity due to Tinubu’s “remarkable achievements” within three years in office.

“Those saying that Nigeria has become a de-facto one-party state are speaking out of sheer ignorance of our political history. The same outcry was loud in 2004, yet we later saw Buhari emerge to stop Obasanjo’s third term gambit and the rise of Peter Obi’s movement in 2023,” Okechukwu said.

He argued that if the APC intended to confine Nigeria to a one-party system, it could have used its influence to prevent Soludo’s victory.

“If APC aimed to turn Nigeria into a one-party state, it could have used the powers at its disposal to shove Professor Soludo aside. The question is, why did the ruling APC lose the gubernatorial election?” he asked.

Okechukwu added that President Tinubu had always maintained that Nigeria was a multi-party democracy, where competition and performance remain essential.

He also recalled that during the PDP era, its leaders once boasted of ruling for 60 years before the coalition of opposition forces led by Tinubu and the late President Muhammadu Buhari dislodged them from power.

“Now that APC under President Tinubu is working to rebuild the country, the same opposition elements whose parties are in disarray are accusing us of plotting a one-party state. Soludo’s victory has rubbished that lie,” he said.

While congratulating Governor Soludo on his reelection, Okechukwu urged him to be magnanimous in victory and carry all stakeholders along, including his political opponents.

He also commended President Tinubu for providing a level playing field during the election, describing it as the hallmark of liberal democracy.