Anambra 2025: APC’s Valentine Ozigbo slams Soludo over ‘zero performance’ ahead of Tinubu’s visit

Governorship aspirant under the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Valentine Ozigbo, has taken a swipe at Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo, accusing him of celebrating “overhyped” projects while failing to address the real challenges facing the state.

Ozigbo’s criticism comes ahead of President Bola Tinubu’s scheduled visit to Anambra, where he is expected to commission a new Government House, an amusement park called Solution FunCity, and an institute at Nnamdi Azikiwe University named after elder statesman Chief Emeka Anyaoku.

In a strongly worded statement issued on Thursday, Ozigbo described the visit as a missed opportunity for the governor to showcase real progress. Instead, he said Soludo has chosen to focus on media optics and superficial projects that do little to solve the state’s pressing economic and social problems.

“In over three years in office, Governor Soludo has delivered zero public housing, zero real investment inflow, and zero structural transformation of our economy,” Ozigbo said.

He argued that the projects being commissioned lack tangible economic value and fail to reflect the dire realities of ordinary citizens battling rising living costs, poor housing, insecurity, and failing infrastructure.

Ozigbo specifically questioned the logic of building an amusement park with state funds when civil servants in Awka can barely afford accommodation, with rent for a modest two-bedroom apartment reportedly costing as high as ₦1.3 million annually.

“Instead of addressing the housing crisis, crumbling local infrastructure, or deepening insecurity, the governor is commissioning an amusement park. This should be a private sector initiative in a thriving economy, not a government priority in a time of crisis,” he said.

He further alleged that Governor Soludo had reportedly directed members of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) not to wear party-branded attire to the presidential visit, describing the move as an act of political cowardice.

“If your policies are strong and your house is in order, why hide your colours?” he asked.

Ozigbo, who was the 2021 governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before joining the APC, said Anambra State is not lacking in talent but is in desperate need of people-focused leadership.

“We deserve a government that builds lives, not just lodges. A leadership that puts people before propaganda,” he added.

He called on Anambra voters to reject what he described as “ribbon-cutting distractions” in the 2025 governorship election and demand a new era of compassionate, visionary, and results-driven leadership.

“Anambra 2025 must not be another pageant of promises. It must be a turning point — one that replaces vanity with vision, and performance with purpose,” Ozigbo concluded.