The All Progressives Congress and the All Progressives Grand Alliance are at odds over claims that the two parties are working together ahead of the 2027 general elections, with both sides offering different interpretations of Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s “progressives are working together” position.
The disagreement has emerged as political parties in Anambra intensify preparations for the 2027 elections, particularly over the direction of support for President Bola Tinubu and candidates contesting under the two parties.
The APC Deputy National Chairman, South, Ben Nwoye, rejected the suggestion that the APC and APGA are working together.
Speaking at an Anambra Central senatorial district stakeholders’ meeting in Awka, Mr Nwoye described APGA’s “progressives are working together” slogan as a fallacy and urged APC supporters not to be misled by it.
He said the APC would work towards securing victory for its candidates in the 2027 elections, including President Tinubu.
The APC’s Anambra Central senatorial candidate, Uche Ekwunife, also urged party members to reject the APGA narrative and support President Tinubu and other APC candidates.
Mrs Ekwunife, who is also the South-East Zonal Director of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, said the party’s focus was to secure strong support at the presidential, National Assembly and state assembly elections.
APGA says cooperation with Tinubu is evidence
The APGA Publicity Secretary, Ejimofor Opara, however, rejected the APC’s position when contacted.
Mr Opara maintained that the “progressives are working together” position remained valid, pointing to APGA’s adoption of President Tinubu as its presidential candidate for the 2027 election.
He said APGA was not attempting to deceive anyone and argued that the party’s support for Mr Tinubu was evidence of its cooperation with the Federal Government.
According to Mr Opara, APGA intends to work with the President while retaining its own identity and political interests in Anambra.
He said the party’s goal was to support Mr Tinubu’s return to office in 2027, while continuing to operate as APGA in the state.
Soludo’s Position at Centre of Dispute
The disagreement centres largely on the political position associated with Governor Soludo, who has described the relationship between APGA and the Federal Government as cooperation among progressive forces.
While APGA points to its support for President Tinubu as evidence of this cooperation, the APC leadership in Anambra insists that such cooperation does not translate into an alliance between the two parties for the 2027 elections.
The latest development therefore reflects a distinction between support for a presidential candidate and cooperation between political parties at other levels of an election.
The disagreement could become significant as the 2027 elections approach because voters in Anambra may face different party arrangements at the presidential, senatorial, House of Representatives and state assembly levels.
APGA’s position is that its support for President Tinubu demonstrates cooperation with the Federal Government, while the APC is calling on its members to support APC candidates across the ballot.
For voters, the distinction means that support for the same presidential candidate does not necessarily mean the parties are fielding or supporting the same candidates at every other level.
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