During President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s visit to Anambra State on Thursday to commission key state projects, leading businessman and 2025 governorship contender Valentine Ozigbo launched a fierce critique of Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s tenure.

The statement, which came shortly after the President’s visit, accused the Soludo administration of prioritizing media optics over substantive governance.

Ozigbo, the former President and Group CEO of Transcorp Plc, began by extending a warm welcome to President Tinubu: “Your Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, I warmly welcome you to Anambra State—the heartbeat of the Southeast,” he said. However, the tone of the statement soon turned critical as Ozigbo questioned the effectiveness of Governor Soludo’s leadership.

Ozigbo labeled Soludo’s administration as a “glaring theatre of missed priorities, misplaced ambitions, and media optics masquerading as progress.” He expressed particular concern about the commissioning of projects like the Solution FunCity amusement park, questioning their relevance in addressing pressing public issues.

“Governance is not a film trick,” Ozigbo remarked. “Governance is not about cutting ribbons on facades while the foundation rots.”

Among the projects inaugurated by President Tinubu were the new Government House, the amusement park, and the Emeka Anyaoku Institute for International Studies and Diplomacy at Nnamdi Azikiwe University. Ozigbo argued that these projects, while high-profile, did little to address Anambra’s critical challenges.

“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 directed particularly harsh criticism at the amusement park. “What critical social problem does this park solve? Hunger? Unemployment? Fear?” he asked, further emphasizing that such ventures should have been left to private investors in a thriving economy.

Ozigbo also highlighted reports that APGA members had been instructed not to wear party-branded clothing during the President’s visit, allegedly to avoid negative optics. “What a betrayal,” Ozigbo remarked. “If your policies are strong and your house is in order, why hide your colours?”

A prominent figure in Anambra’s political landscape, Ozigbo’s remarks underscored not only his policy differences with Soludo but also a broader dissatisfaction with the leadership in the state. He stressed the need for a government that focuses on real solutions for the people rather than political image management.

“We deserve a government that builds lives, not just lodges,” Ozigbo declared, calling for a leadership focused on serving the people.

Ozigbo pointed to pressing issues such as the housing crisis, lack of infrastructure, and insecurity. He noted that many civil servants in Awka are unable to afford housing, with two-bedroom apartments renting for up to ₦1.3 million annually, while wages remain stagnant.

Although the Soludo administration has yet to respond to Ozigbo’s comments, his critique seems to resonate with growing frustration in the state, where critics accuse the current leadership of focusing more on performance politics than addressing real challenges.

As Ozigbo concluded: “Anambra is not short of talent or promise — we are short of leadership that puts the people first. I do not believe in politics as performance art. I believe in politics as service — rooted in compassion, driven by vision, and measured by real change in people’s lives.”