Anxiety is reportedly mounting in the camp of Anambra State Governor, Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo, following reports that President Bola Tinubu has withdrawn his backing for the governor’s re-election bid and openly endorsed the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu, barely 24 hours to the governorship election.

Sources close to the governor told Patriotic Insights News that Soludo had earlier assured President Tinubu of his support for the president’s 2027 re-election campaign and had hinted at the possibility of defecting to the APC should he secure a second term under the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

However, Tinubu’s public declaration in favour of Ukachukwu has reportedly unsettled the Soludo camp, which had believed the president’s silence implied tacit support for the incumbent.

“The governor got played. He was not fully aware of the dynamics,” a top source within Soludo’s team said on Friday. “He genuinely thought the president would stand by him. But despite this setback, we remain confident of Governor Soludo’s chances, though it will be a tight race.”

Insiders further revealed tensions within APGA, with some senior officials accusing Soludo of running an isolated administration. “The governor does not bring everyone along; he thinks he knows it all,” a source at the APGA Secretariat said.

The source also claimed that a recent visit by a delegation from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ended in disarray, with a senior government official lamenting the lack of preparations for their reception. “Even the permanent secretary admitted she was weary and that the governor appeared ready to lose,” the source added.

In contrast, the APC camp appeared buoyant. A campaign official told Patriotic Insights News that the party, being at the centre, was confident of victory. “The balance of victory tilted towards the APC once the president threw his support behind our candidate. Anambra people are ready for change, and they will vote massively for Ukachukwu tomorrow,” he said.

Another senior strategist described Ukachukwu’s grassroots engagements as a “game changer,” particularly his outreach to market women, whom he assured of inclusive governance. The strategist also cited the “son versus adopted son” metaphor that resonated with the president during a recent visit, reinforcing Ukachukwu’s position as a local favourite.

The president reportedly dispatched Senate President Godswill Akpabio to campaign alongside Ukachukwu, while the APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, and several governors also attended the rally, signalling unity within the party.

At the rally, Akpabio declared: “An adopted son is not the same as a biological son. We have a son in Anambra, Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu. We are here to present him as the next governor of Anambra State.”

Echoing this, the APC National Chairman added: “If anyone claims he is an adopted son in the APC, it is false. We have only one son – Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu – ‘Ikukuoma’ Ndi Anambra. Use the broom to sweep away the ghost of APGA.”