Early campaign blitz by Gov. Chukwuma Soludo’s appointees signals political jitters ahead of 8 November 2025 governorship poll.
Despite previously projecting confidence and a delayed campaign rollout, Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s political machinery has roared into action far earlier than expected. Perhaps in a bid to mask the fact, it’s his appointees who are leading the charge.
Soludo’s allies mobilise powerful voter bloc for 8 Nov poll From local government commission chairs to state commissioners and aides, the governor’s political foot soldiers have launched an aggressive campaign to secure victory for him in the 8 November 2025 governorship election. This move sparked whispers of desperation in political circles.
Governor Soludo had given the impression that he would remain focused on governance and hold off on campaigning until late August or even September. But the recent wave of rallies, town halls, and grassroots mobilizations — all spearheaded by his appointees — suggests a sudden strategic shift. Observers believe this is likely triggered by the re-entry of Labour Party leader Peter Obi into the local campaign terrain.
In the past one week alone, appointees like Barr. Vin-Ifeanyi Ezeaka rallied local government workers — a massive voter bloc — to pledge allegiance to the governor’s second-term bid. Simultaneously, Environment Commissioner Felix Odimegwu led a major political rally in Nnewi South, drawing top APGA leaders and touting Soludo as the best leader the state has seen in years.
The Governor’s political opponents are now jokingly questioning the urgency.
A Labour Party stalwart wondered: “Why deploy a full campaign arsenal in July if the governor was so sure of his popularity?” It’s a sign that the Soludo camp is rattled — particularly by growing grassroots sympathy for the Labour Party and the perceived erosion of APGA’s dominance in key areas.
“Soludo’s early campaign push undermines his earlier claims of letting performance speak for him,” he noted.
“If he’s now using every tool at his disposal, including civil service structures and appointees, it raises the question: is the ground slipping beneath him?”
While the rallies have drawn crowds and praise from loyalists, the timing and intensity of these moves hint at more than just strategic preparedness — they expose the high stakes and a fear of losing control in an increasingly competitive race.
For a governor who once claimed he didn’t need to campaign too hard, the current tempo tells a very different story.
