Nicholas Ukachukwu, governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Anambra, says President Bola Tinubu is a loyal party man who will not support any candidate outside his party.

Ukachukwu spoke on Thursday during an interview on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’.

The APC candidate took a swipe at Chukwuma Soludo, governor of Anambra, for allegedly relying on Tinubu’s backing despite belonging to a different political party.

“We know president Tinubu is not anti-party. He is a party man, won’t support another party aside from APC. He wants our party to win,” Ukachukwu said.

“How would a governor who has governed the state for almost four years be banking on another party leader’s support? Is it not laughable?”

Ukachukwu accused Soludo of double standard, saying the governor is attempting to hide under the “progressives” banner while remaining in the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

“The only credibility he has is to say ‘progressives’ are working together, wearing a cap of APC and another one for his party, APGA,” he said.

He said the governor’s performance has fallen short of expectations and that Anambra residents have been disappointed.

“The Anambra people should have been clapping for him for a job well done but the reverse is the case,” Ukachukwu added.

He also mocked the size of Soludo’s campaign rallies, saying they paled in comparison to his own community engagements.

“See the rally he’s doing. I can tell you that my community tour is bigger than his local government tour. That would show who people want and who they don’t want,” he added.

Soludo, an APGA chieftain, met with Tinubu on August 12 and pledged his support for the president’s 2027 re-election bid.

The Anambra governor arrived for the closed-door meeting wearing a cap emblazoned with Tinubu’s insignia.

Speaking after the meeting, Soludo said his friendship with Tinubu spans over two decades and will not be broken by political differences.

Ukachukwu later accused the governor of spinning the visit as an endorsement that “does not exist”.

Okechukwu Modebe, spokesperson for the Nicholas Ukachukwu/Uche Ekwunife campaign organisation, described the meeting as “the last kick of a dying horse” and a desperate bid to revive Soludo’s political relevance ahead of the governorship election.

He added that “parading such meetings as endorsements insults the intelligence of Anambra voters”.

On his part, Tinubu said his administration will always partner with states committed to human, social, and economic development.

The Anambra governorship poll is slated for November 8, 2025.