APGA Rules Out 2027 Presidential Candidate, Declares Support for Tinubu

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Sly Ezeokenwa, has announced that the party will not field a presidential candidate in the 2027 general elections. Instead, APGA will maintain its long-standing tradition of supporting the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, Ezeokenwa dismissed speculation that Governor Charles Soludo’s recent courtesy visit to the president was aimed at securing political favours ahead of the November 8 Anambra governorship election. He insisted that the relationship between Governor Soludo and President Tinubu was rooted in mutual respect and shared progressive ideals, not transactional politics.

“The support for President Tinubu flows from tradition and ideological alignment,” Ezeokenwa said, noting that Soludo has consistently praised the president’s bold economic reforms, including the removal of fuel subsidy on his first day in office.

The APGA chairman also used the occasion to counter what he described as “falsehoods and deliberate misinformation” being spread by the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) in Anambra State. He accused some APC leaders, including senatorial candidate Azuka Okwuosa and governorship hopeful Nicholas Ukachukwu, of attempting to discredit both Governor Soludo’s administration and the recently concluded Anambra South senatorial by-election.

Ezeokenwa hailed the conduct of the August 16 by-election, describing it as a “watershed in Nigeria’s democratic journey,” and commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies for ensuring its credibility.

On the possibility of a broader political realignment, the APGA leader hinted at either a merger or coalition with the ruling APC, stressing that many parties profess similar ideologies and could strengthen Nigeria’s democracy by working together.

“APGA remains the foremost progressive party in Nigeria,” he stated. “Rather than a proliferation of parties claiming the same ideals, it is time to build stronger partnerships that truly advance progressivism.”