“Many people still complain that since his election, Soludo has reverted to his old self in which many allege that he claims to know everything” —Ebuka Onyekwelu
Sworn in exactly one year and ten months ago, after his successful election on the strength of his predecessor’s political mobilization and his own pedigree as a public intellectual and former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo emerged easily as one with the wildest expectations from the people in the history of democratic governance in Anambra State. Soludo’s election would be the first time a well known and publicly acknowledged well-read individual is becoming the governor of Anambra State. Before him, no other well-known person has served as Anambra’s governor. The late Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife was not known beyond a small circle of friends and elites at the time he was elected governor of the state. The late Dr. Chinwoke Mbadinuju was not well known beyond his cycle in legal practice and Onitsha. Peter Obi was not known beyond those in his cycle and business associates, same as Obiano who was not known outside the banking sector and those playing in that field. But Soludo’s case was different.
As a former Central Bank governor, Soludo was popular for introducing some reforms in the banking sector. These events naturally catapulted Soludo’s popularity to astronomical levels at the time. For such a man many figured, that his performance in Anambra State as the duly elected governor must be something in the region of magic. In the least, the anticipation had been that this will be the best quality of excellence that is possible to be attained by a sub-national government in any part of Africa. But nearly two years on, how have these expectations fared?
Soludo’s open opposition to Peter Obi’s presidential ambition in 2023 has also added to the unabated pressure
From inception, it was not feasible for Soludo to have a modest attempt at meeting these exceptionally high expectations of the governed. Soludo whose political brand has come to be associated with the Dubai-Taiwan development model, has been able to communicate a vision that is practically impossible to attain within two terms of eight years which is the highest an elected executive public officer can stay in Nigeria. This has been exacerbated by the desperation with which the people anticipate the materialization of this vision. Therefore, from the beginning, Soludo’s government was subjected to pressures from the burden of its communicated vision and subsequent expectations from the governed. On its own, this challenge was sufficient to drain the popular acceptance that brought the government to power. But even worse, not only has Soludo’s government in almost two years not been able to move away from routine government incremental progress, it also has been unable to communicate its difficulties. The government has made routine marks such as government employment for some citizens, which largely amounts to underemployment as employees are not well paid or motivated. There is also ongoing construction of roads which is a routine for past governments. Like other governments, Soludo’s government has been trapped in the regular approach to the challenge of insecurity. More worrisome, the government has instead been drawn to the conventional embrace of white elephant projects which are a well-known conduit for ‘safe’ embezzlement of public money. For instance, Soludo’s government is constructing an elaborate flyover in Ekwulobia, a project expected to cost some billions of public money and which the work pace does not suggest would be completed in the next year or two years. Also, the government is constructing a new Government House and Governor’s Lodge, costing the state billions of public money.
The opposition is also not letting the government get away with any of its missteps.
Again, it is not clear that the project can be delivered within the next year or two years. There is also ongoing construction of a park by the government under some kind of partnership that is unclear. Still not satisfied, the Soludo’s government has equally voiced its desire to begin the construction of a 10-story 5-star hotel in Awka, the state capital; a project expected to cost tens of billions of Naira. These are very conformist governance styles all over Africa, which increases the chances of the twin evils of embezzlement and project abandonment. Both of which cannot be excused in the particular instance. Therefore in governance terms, Soludo has not been iconoclastic in a way that communicates a clear image of his Dubai-Taiwan mantra. Yet, the government is unable to conduct a simple local government election which the governor had promised to conduct six months into his government. It is now nearly two years. Perhaps, the state is not ready for Soludo’s ideas/style or he was not well prepared or did not prepare with the full knowledge of the situation on the ground. Whatever the case may be, the people it would appear, are unwilling to make excuses or take any from him. The opposition is also not letting the government get away with any of its missteps.
The other side of this is how Soludo managed his political mileage after his election in 2021. To date, many people still complain that since his election, Soludo has reverted to his old self in which many allege that he claims to know everything. There are also insinuations that the governor had fallen out with many of his associates and supporters for unclear reasons. In addition, the governor’s open opposition to Peter Obi’s presidential ambition in 2023 has also added to the unabated pressure on his young administration. Even more, the governor has not been emphatic in identifying with APGA and it is not certain if or to what extent he funds the vehicle through which he rode to power; thereby weakening the morale of APGA party men and women.
Amidst these, a focused political convergence has surfaced particularly in Anambra APC, signalling preparation to dislodge the government in the next governorship election in 2025. The development has even rattled the governor the most, forcing the incumbent to, for the first time, commence a full political campaign for the next election in less than two years in office. Only a few days ago, Hon. Chinedu Obidigwe, a former member of the House of Representatives and a trusted aide of the former governor who campaigned for Soludo vigorously in 2021 was on national TV campaigning for Governor Soludo’s re-election. This is projected to provide some form of balance to the assault and relentless pressure from Sen. Ifeanyi Ubah and the Anambra APC who are the most formidable opposition poised to firmly challenge the governor.
With these developments, considering the very nature of conventional politics in Nigeria, and how desperate the politics of re-election bids can become, it is uncertain if the government would ever invest much effort into meeting the people’s expectations, as all resources, ingenuity, and energy are channeled into politics and electioneering campaign, while governance is relegated to an afterthought and a mere tool for political gains.
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