Not too many states have the rare privilege of being led by a first-class economist. Governor Chukwuma Soludo ticks all the boxes of a brilliant scholar and practitioner. However, Ndi Anambra are still awaiting the metamorphosis of his grand theories into sociopolitical well-being, even as he starts his second term in office today, LEO SOBECHI and LAWRENCE NJOKU report.

Apart from the apprehension that the defection bug afflicting state governors could impact his politics going forward, two issues may headline governance in Anambra State in the next four years as Governor Chukwuma Soludo renews his oath of office today. One is how he would reposition the state’s economy.

The former Central Bank Governor, a Professor of Econometrics, has always beaten his chest as a first-class player in economic management, particularly in fiscal policy. Many believe that the success or failure of his stint as Anambra State’s chief executive officer depends on how he guides the state on the path of sustainable growth away from oil.

But on the political front, the former CBN governor’s desperate efforts to win President Tinubu’s support while seeking a second term left others in doubt about his ability to navigate the murky waters of the country’s politics and sustain the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

Try as he could, Governor Soludo failed to hide his anxiety about the national political clout of the former Labour Party (LP) presidential contender, Mr Peter Obi, and how that growing national acclaim could rub off on his own future political visibility and influence.

The backlash that trailed his infamous letter, History Beckons, which dismissed Obi’s chances in the 2023 presidential contest, exposed the internal turmoil the governor was experiencing over Obi’s appearance on the ballot.

Although Obi defeated the incumbent in the 2010 governorship poll when Soludo was the standard bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the former CBN governor believes that, having graduated with a first-class degree from the same University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) as Obi, he should stand taller than the former LP flag bearer in the chase for Nigeria’s presidency.

Having won a second-term mandate, and with the possibility that Obi could secure the 2027 presidential ticket of the opposition coalition, the African Democratic Congress (ADC), how this silent political rivalry between him as governor and Obi as a presidential contender will influence governance and politics in the state remains a point of interest.

Will the former CBN governor let politics take the back seat and face governance in a state legendary for its inclination toward commerce and industry, or will he take active partisan interest in the forthcoming presidential contest in support of Tinubu?

What form will this touted support take now that the professor has secured the coveted second term? Could it be a fusion of APGA into APC, an outright defection, or will “progressives continue to work together” from disparate platforms?

If politics distracted the governor in his first term, he would have no excuses not to deliver on his much-talked-about Dubai-Taiwan economic turnaround. Solution 2.0 should not be fat on theories and lean on actual deliverables. Anambra people say they have heard enough grammar from the first-class economist.

And amid his “progressives working together” banter, Soludo’s second term could challenge his ingenuity to dust up his dated State Economic Empowerment and Development Strategies (SEEDS) and fuse them into the APC and Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. That would be the first proof that the former CBN governor is not only adept at mouthing slogans. “It is the economy, stupid.”

It was none other than former United States President Bill Clinton who declared that economic policy determines the pace of politics.

When he assumed office four years ago, Soludo spoke eloquently about his intention to reposition Anambra State’s economy, noting that his plan would transition it from oil dependency to a non-oil economy that leverages technology.

He had spoken about an economy that could rely mainly on products manufactured within the state, according to its own standards. While he believes residents could use local resources to meet their needs, he also thinks the state could generate enough revenue to tackle other challenges, such as infrastructure improvement and healthcare, among others.

To the governor, there was a need to do things differently. There was a need to give Anambra State a new nomenclature. He promised a homeland that would evolve into the African version of Dubai, Taiwan, and Silicon Valley.

He envisioned new smart cities, including Awka as Africa’s first truly smart and green city, where AI, renewable energy, and clean mobility meet seamless governance.

Onitsha would emerge as a commercial, logistics, and retail powerhouse, complete with Africa’s largest shopping mall, revitalising the region’s historical trade legacy.

Governor Soludo also dreamt about a comprehensive Oncology Centre that would complement the telemedicine backbone already in place, ensuring that quality healthcare reaches not just cities but the most remote wards.

He had stated that every resident, no matter where they live, would have real-time digital access to medical consultations.

He planned to unlock Anambra’s untapped tourism goldmines—projects that would merge heritage with hospitality. This means that Ogbunike Caves, Owerre-Ezukala Waterfalls, and Agulu Lake would be developed into world-class eco-tourism destinations with supporting infrastructure, security, and luxury accommodations, among others.

But he soon realised that attaining these lofty dreams was a herculean task, following the spate of insecurity that ravaged the state.

Earlier in his inaugural speech, he had appealed to criminal elements to lay down their arms and embrace peace. He invited those agitating for one cause or another in the state to a dialogue aimed at changing the narrative and restoring order, even as he promised to empower them into meaningful production.

Having realised that his appeal did not achieve the desired results, he opted to review the state laws, which enabled him to draft the Homeland Security Law, 2025. This birthed the Agunechemba security outfit and the Anambra State Special Anti-Touting Squad (SASA) to restore order in the motor parks and markets.

So far, Soludo has made serious inroads in tackling insecurity and disorder in the state. He has ensured a new social order that is fast eliminating the “get rich quick by all means” mentality that gave rise to cultism, drug addiction, bloodletting, and kidnapping in the state.

While he has arrested, detained, and imprisoned several “native doctors” involved in fetish practices, the once entrenched Monday sit-at-home in the state is being tackled head-on.

Four years ago, he insisted that “every day there is a sit-at-home, the poor masses lose an estimated N19.6 billion in Anambra State alone,” stressing that due to the protracted breakdown of law and order, businesses were relocating outside Igboland, with rising unemployment, while traders who used to visit shops in Onitsha and Aba were going elsewhere.

With the efforts so far, there is a tendency for residents to want the lofty ideas translated into practical realities in his second term, so as to give Anambra the needed edge.

While this rebirth is awaited, residents may watch out for the governor’s new political moves. Now that he has secured his second term, is there a likelihood that Soludo would ditch the APGA that provided the platform for his victory, especially with the deepening wave of defections into the All Progressives Congress (APC)?

The governor has not hidden his relationship with President Tinubu. In fact, many believe he owed part of his re-election momentum to that relationship. His party has also assured him of its support and adopted him as its candidate in the 2027 general elections. Sources, however, believe the governor knows the implications of jettisoning APGA at this period.

Jerry Igwe, a political analyst, however, said it would make little difference, stressing that the only thing that distinguishes APGA from APC is the name.

He said: “APGA cannot challenge any policies of the APC currently. APGA has made itself a willing tool to sing the praises of the ruling party. So, to me, there is no difference.

“The party has not been able to contest the presidential election for a long time now. That is because the governors who have led the party have continued to see it as an extension of the ruling party. So, when you have an arrangement like that, do you still call that one a political party? I won’t be surprised if the governor decides to wipe out APGA from the lexicon of the country’s politics, having realised his ambitions.”

In the same vein, a lawyer, Kate Nnebedum, said that though the governor has expanded APGA through elections conducted in the local governments of Anambra State, as well as winning the Anambra South Senatorial by-election, the fact that the party has remained confined to the state is worrisome.

She said she expects the governor to use his second term in office to move APGA beyond Anambra State and raise the consciousness that the party belongs to Ndigbo.

“That is the way to build institutions and make kings. Running into another party because of friendship cannot make him a good leader. What if Tinubu is not there tomorrow? What happens? I am seriously objecting to any move that would affect APGA’s identity. Let him stay there and build the party,” she stated.