The National Women Leader of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Barr. Elizabeth Nwokeocha, has explained that the party’s decision to endorse President Bola Tinubu for a second term was driven by ideological alignment rather than political expediency.
Speaking during an interview on TVC News on Friday, Nwokeocha stated that APGA’s endorsement followed a deliberate assessment by the party’s leadership, led by Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, who concluded that the President’s policies are consistent with the party’s core philosophy of social welfare and human capital development.
She stressed that APGA has historically maintained a tradition of working with the government at the centre whenever doing so advances the interests of the people.
“Our ideology is centred on social welfare and social contracts,” she said. “Governor Soludo’s governance model in Anambra is focused on human capital development, and we believe the current President is pursuing policies that align with those ideals.”
The women leader cited the Soludo administration’s investments in free education, youth empowerment, and skills acquisition programmes as examples of APGA’s commitment to improving citizens’ welfare, adding that the party sees similar priorities in the Tinubu administration.
Nwokeocha also dismissed concerns over the absence of an APGA presidential candidate on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)’s nomination portal, insisting that the party deliberately chose to back Tinubu instead of fielding its own candidate.
“We are not missing a candidate. We are supporting the re-election of the current President,” she remarked.
She explained that APGA’s endorsement effectively makes Tinubu the party’s preferred presidential candidate, emphasising that presenting a separate candidate while supporting policies it believes in would have been unnecessary.
“There is no point presenting a candidate to run against someone whose ideology and policies are in line with ours,” she asserted.
Nwokeocha maintained that the President’s programmes aimed at empowering Nigerians and expanding social welfare informed the party’s decision to rally behind his re-election bid.
On what the endorsement means for APGA, Nwokeocha disclosed that the party expects the partnership to strengthen its relationship with the Federal Government while advancing its developmental objectives.
She noted that although the endorsement was not a political transaction, the party believes that supporting the administration should naturally foster a mutually beneficial relationship.
“It is not a transaction, but when you support someone, you expect that support to be appreciated. We believe that if the President is re-elected, APGA’s support will be recognised, and where opportunities arise, the party will also be considered,” she stated.
She added that the endorsement reflects APGA’s conviction that collaborating with the Tinubu administration will ultimately benefit both the party and the Nigerian people.
