‘I wrote it for history’— Soludo defends article forecasting Obi’s defeat

Chukwuma Soludo, governor of Anambra, says the article he authored on the chances of his predecessor, Peter Obi, was written for “history”.

Soludo spoke on Thursday in an interview on Channels Television.

In the article published on November 14, 2022, Soludo said Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), knows that “he can’t and won’t win” the 2023 presidential election.

He said the LP candidate is merely pinching votes from the stronghold of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the advantage of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The article stirred reactions on and off social media.

“Indeed, if I were Asiwaju Tinubu, I would even give Peter Obi money as someone heading one of the departments of his campaign because Obi is making Tinubu’s pathway to victory much easier by indirectly pulling down PDP. It is what it is!” Soludo had written.

During Thursday’s interview, the Anambra governor was asked whether he had changed his position on Obi’s chances in the forthcoming elections as detailed in the article.

Reacting, Soludo said the voters would decide who will win the presidential election, adding that he has a responsibility to campaign for the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

“Let’s be clear — APGA is contesting this election. APGA has a presidential candidate,” he said.

“You introduced me as the new national leader of APGA, I have a responsibility to campaign for my party — from head to bottom.

“We (APGA) are seriously contesting this election. About the permutations and chances of each candidate, I think the electorate will decide that in the coming days.”

On the chances of Obi in the election, Soludo said the LP candidate might win in Anambra, considering that he is from the state.

“In my piece, I made mentioned that I don’t see the pathway of LP victory. That is my prognosis,” he said.

“All I can say to you today is that, I will repeat, I said so in that piece, that I wish Peter Obi the best of luck.

“He is contesting as others. We (APGA) are also contesting in the same race. We have our own candidate, who is also the son of the soil, coincidentally from Anambra state as well and he will do his own bit to get his own vote.

“In the same piece, I even concluded that Peter Obi might win in Anambra state.

“About winning the overall election itself, quite frankly, my prognosis of the election itself, as to what was and what is, by that piece — in one sentence to summarise it —  that piece I did not write it for today, I wrote it for history.”