Barely two weeks after President Bola Tinubu’s visit to Anambra State, tensions have deepened between the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and the main opposition, All Progressives Congress (APC), as both parties claim to have gained more political advantage from the President’s stopover.
The March 8 visit, officially described as the commissioning of the Faculty of International Affairs building in honour of former Commonwealth Secretary Emeka Anyaoku, quickly became a political flashpoint. In Anambra, Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s administration touted the commissioning of completed projects, including the Solution FunCity and the newly completed Government House Lodge, as major achievements. Meanwhile, APC supporters insisted that the event marked a political win for their party.
While Soludo and his aides highlighted the President’s praise for the governor as a sign of confidence in his leadership, APC members argued that President Tinubu deliberately withheld any endorsement of Soludo’s re-election bid. They pointed out that the President did not raise Soludo’s hand or make any direct statement of support. APC officials described the visit as a calculated political move that energized their base and demonstrated that APC has a growing presence in Anambra.
APC’s Assistant Secretary in the state, Sam Oraegbunam, stated that the party mobilized thousands of supporters to line the streets during the President’s visit and that this show of support impressed Tinubu. He claimed that the absence of APGA colours and insignia during the visit was a political concession and evidence of APC’s growing influence.
Tensions escalated further when the Department of State Services (DSS) responded to an initiative by political economist Prof. Pat Utomi, who floated the idea of forming a shadow government. The DSS viewed this as a subversive move aimed at undermining Nigeria’s constitutional democracy. A DSS official questioned the legality of such a move under a presidential system of government and confirmed that the agency had opted for a civil suit to allow the courts to determine the constitutionality of Utomi’s actions and statements.
Political commentator Reno Omokri criticized the shadow government idea, stating that it has no place in Nigeria’s presidential system. He cited Section 1 (2) of the Nigerian Constitution, which forbids any person or group from taking control of government outside of constitutional provisions. Omokri said that forming a shadow government amounts to treason and is incompatible with a republican democracy where the president is both the head of state and head of government.
In Anambra, the visit has sparked further political activity. Former government appointee Owelle Mbaso accused the state government of attempting to disrupt an APC town hall meeting scheduled for May 10 at the country home of APC governorship candidate Nicholas Ukachukwu. He alleged that the event was targeted due to the level of APC mobilisation seen during the President’s visit.
Mbaso also said that the APC is gaining ground in Anambra, with members of the late Ifeanyi Ubah’s political family and former APGA loyalists now backing Ukachukwu’s bid for the governorship. He described the APC turnout on March 8 as an “organic crowd of loyal members,” contrasting it with what he claimed was APGA’s staged appearance of strength.
As the November governorship election approaches, both parties are using the President’s visit as political ammunition. APGA sees Tinubu’s friendly words as an endorsement of Soludo’s leadership, while APC views the visit as a validation of its rising influence in the state. For now, the debate continues as each side positions itself for a fierce electoral contest.
