In this interview with OKEY MADUFORO, the National Publicity Secretary of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) Mazi Ejimofor Opara takes a look at the expectations for 2026 and the fate of the party as the country prepares for the general elections in 2027.
How would you describe the year 2025 and the high and low moments of your party?
We as a political party had no low moments but victory all the way. We went for the governorship election in Anambra State and our people returned Mr Governor Prof Charles Soludo for a second term.
The victory was more than what our party had in the past and it went beyond the 21/ 21 as we cleared almost all the electoral wards in the state but some very infinitesimal number of wards. So we had no low moments but victory all the way, and what it represents is that Anambra is on the rise to the glory of God.
We also worn the by-election for Anambra South Senatorial District which was indeed a a litmus test for the gubernatorial election in the state. I want to use this great opportunity to celebrate the people of Anambra for that unflinching support for our party and it has emboldened us to serve the state better than before.
The 2027 general election is by the corner and people are expecting APGA to field a candidate for the Presidential election…
It is too early in the day to start talking about an election that is coming up next year. We are yet as a political party to discuss that and we do not want to be distracted by that and when we get to the bridge, we shall figure out how to cross it .
But your party had always supported the party at the centre…
The All Progressives Grand Alliance is not just a party but a mass movement and we are the first progressive party in Nigeria. We also have the second progressive party which is the All Progressives Congress (APC), and like Mr Governor said during the working visit of President Ahmed Bola Tinubu, the progressives are working together.
So I would posit that we wait for the appropriate time to discuss this and you know that during the electioneering campaigns for the gubernatorial election in Anambra State, the minority noise by the opposition about the Abuja taking over came to nothing and we won the election.
Talks of defection are in the air and people feel that Soludo might join the APC…
That boils down to the progressives working together. So, where is the issue of Mr Governor defecting to APC? So far, we have witnessed that synergy between the APC government at the centre and our party and there are no frictions at all; so what would the governor do when the progressives are working together?
Mr Peter Obi joined the ADC along with his structure; are you not worried?
As enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, we have the freedom of association and that is what Mr Peter Obi has done with his supporters. Why are we losing sleep about that? He was in APGA before and later joined the PDP and then to the Labour Party where he contested as Presidential candidate of that party.
So if he has joined the ADC, it is not news and he is at liberty to join as many parties as possible. For us as a party, we are focused on giving the people of Anambra State the best and that is what we are doing and we cannot condescend so low as talking about someone joining another party.
This is the least of what we are talking about because we see it as mere distraction, and APGA as a party will not want to join issues with that. But the Obidient Movement has resonated again and the political class is realigning…
Like I said before, we are not moved by that. We had that alleged movement in the last general elections and today how many of those that won elections in that movement are still in the fold of the Obidient Movement?
Since after that election, most of them had defected to another party, and the Labour Party is fast losing grip of membership. In the 2003 , someone tried to contest election under the PDP and couldn’t get nomination and went to the then All Nigerian People’s Party (ANPP) and even made attempts at other political parties before joining APGA, even when the party had nominated a candidate.
The person after serving as Governor, later left the party for the PDP in a bid towards contesting the Anambra Central Senatorial District election but could not make it.
Name one political party that he has ever midwifed and even in the Labour Party, there has been crisis and what effort has he so far made to settle the internal issues in that party?
Today we hear of ADC and you expect us as a party to begin to lose sleep about that. We are not interested in that and whichever party he chooses to belong let him be because we are too occupied to begin to talk about it.
What do we expect in Anambra State in 2026?
Solution Continues! We shall remain focused and resolute about the affairs of Anambra State and we shall do the needful in that regard.
We shall consolidate and move on. We shall always have Anambra people in our minds and you know that the people of Anambra are already agog with the developmental strides of Governor Charles Soludo and that is what we are focused on.
There shall be more road infrastructure, we shall continue to build people with the One Youth Two Skills and we shall sustain the security of lives and property in the state. Interestingly the people of Anambra are behind us and we will never fail them.
Anambra is celebrating ONWA- Dezemba what is your take on it?
Since the last two weeks you can agree with me that there is mass return. Reason is that the security architec- ture on ground has given impetus for that. Before now people celebrate traditional weddings outside the state including funeral ceremonies but today it is a different kettle of fish, and seeing it from that point of view, Anambra is getting liberated.
The Agunechemba Security Squad under the Udo Ga Chi Security Opera- tions which include the other security operatives had done marvelously well, and Mr Governor would continue in that stead. The year 2026 promises more good governance ahead, and I guarantee you that we are on it and Anambra State is on the rise.
