Southeast leaders have faith in Tinubu to bring significant positive change – Soludo

Anambra State governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, has praised President Bola Tinubu, describing him as a cerebral, courageous, and patriotic Nigerian who has earned the trust of the people of the South East to bring about significant positive change to the region.

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Following his swearing-in to commence his secure tenure in Awka, Soludo expressed gratitude to the president for the ongoing federal projects in the Southeast, notably the Enugu-Onitsha expressway and the adjunct to the 2nd Niger Bridge.

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During President Tinubu's state visit to Anambra on May 8, 2025, Soludo had requested that Anambra/Southeast be included in the national gas and rail master plans, as well as the dredging of River Niger to operationalize the Onitsha River port, and the president had given his approval.

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Soludo emphasized that the relevant agencies must now deliver on these projects, as the people of the region expect tangible results.

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The governor observed that the South East region is currently underperforming, and this trend must be reversed to secure a brighter future for the region and its inhabitants.

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He attributed the region's underdevelopment to years of self-inflicted conflict and the silence of its leaders, which had set back the region's progress by several decades.

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Soludo commended the commitment and vision of the current governors in the Southeast, expressing confidence that collective efforts can lead to greatness for the region.

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He stated that Igboland is in need of healing, and requires a new approach, narrative, and language to move forward.

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Reiterating a point he had made in his inaugural address four years ago, Soludo noted that with an estimated 11.6 million Igbos living in the North and over 7 million in Lagos state, and over 70% of their non-land assets scattered across Nigeria and the world, the Igbos need Nigeria and Nigeria needs them.

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Soludo emphasized the importance of asserting their rights as equal citizens of Nigeria, and advocated for a more constructive approach to agitating for equity and fairness in a democracy, rather than resorting to armed struggle.

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He declared that the Igbos must never again engage in self-destructive conflict, and instead should seek justice and healing for past wrongs, with a view to teaching their children valuable lessons from history.

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Soludo urged the Igbos to adopt a pan-Nigeria politics of coalition for development, joining forces with like-minded individuals across the country to advocate for a fairer Nigeria where everyone has an equal chance to succeed.

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He stressed that the Igbos need to maximize the benefits of being part of Nigeria to transform their homeland, but this can only be achieved by actively participating in the country's politics, rather than remaining on the sidelines as critics and agitators.

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Soludo cautioned that in a democracy, no one gets what they deserve, but rather what they negotiate for, and therefore the Igbos must organize and lobby effectively to have their voices heard.

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He prayed that the Igbos would never again waste their votes, and instead would use their collective strength to bargain for a better future.

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Soludo emphasized the need for the Igbos to organize and lobby the rest of Nigeria to fulfill the country's promise of massive reconstruction to the Southeast and the former Eastern Region after the civil war.