Again, Governor Soludo Counts Peter Obi Out Of Presidential Race; Ignores APGA Candidate

By Charles Igbo

Professor Charles Soludo of Anambra State, has, for the second time in two months, counted the Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi out of the Presidential race.

The Governor does not recognize Obi as a candidate with any weight, not to talk of a front runner.

Soludo’s opinion, however, runs contrary to the general opinion on the standing of the Candidates in the race.

Obi is, generally, regarded as one of the three front runners in a race not a few people think will be the most contested for in Nigeria. He has, also, led in at least three credible opinion polls.

Soludo did not need to mention Obi by name. It was obvious. He more than hinted when he spoke at the Government House Awka on Thursday, as he received the Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar, in audience.

Atiku was in Anambra State to flag off his Presidential Campaign.

Said Soludo to Atiku: “You are one of the two front runners for the Presidency.” He then added, for effect, that he is in politics, but is still struggling  whether to become a politician or not because he “says it as he sees it.”

The two front runners he was referring to were, obviously, Atiku and the Candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

By making that statement, Soludo also threw the Presidential ambition of his own Party, All  Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Honourable Justice Peter Umeadi (rtd) to the dustbin.

No wonder Umeadi has remained largely anonymous in his ambition,, and APGA has not deemed it necessary to flag off its Presidential Campaign.

Soludo’s statement on Thursday tallies with his opinion in the long essay he wrote a couple of weeks ago where he dismissed Obi’s ambition as no use. He said Obi is likely not going to take even the third position, in February 2023 at the conclusion of the Presidential election. He posited that only two Political Parties, APC and PDP, are in the Presidential race.

Soludo accused Obi of deceiving  the Igbo, and asked Igbo leaders to go and negotiate with the two Candidates he regards as the front runners.

Soludo had come under strong attacks over the contents of his long essay and the way he dismissed Obi with a wave of the hand, but it did not stop him from  repeating the points he made earlier.

Obi, was the Governor of Anambra State for two terms. He, it was, who handed over to the immediate past Governor, Willie Obiano, whose successor Soludo is.