THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially presented certificates of return to Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo and his deputy, Onyekachukwu Ibezim, following their victory in the November 8, 2025 governorship election.
The presentation ceremony took place today at Awka, the state capital, with the INEC National Commissioner overseeing the Anambra election, Kenneth Ukeagu, presiding over the event.
Ukeagu described the presentation as the final stage of the democratic process and a reflection of the people’s trust in Governor Soludo’s leadership.
He explained that under Section 72(1) of the Electoral Act 2022, INEC is required to issue certificates of return within 14 days to candidates duly declared winners, adding that the commission had fully complied with the law.
Governor Soludo, accompanied by his wife, Nonye, and their children, expressed gratitude to INEC for what he described as the credible conduct of the election.
He also thanked residents of the state and members of his party, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), for their continued support, promising that his second term would usher in accelerated development across all sectors.
According to the results announced by INEC in the early hours of Sunday, Soludo won in all 21 local government areas of the state, securing a landslide victory with 422,664 votes.
His closest rival, Nicholas Ukachukwu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), polled 99,445 votes, while Paul Chukwuma of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) garnered 37,753 votes.
George Moghalu of the Labour Party (LP) and Jude Ezenwafor of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) scored 10,576 and 1,401 votes respectively.
INEC reported that out of 2,788,864 registered voters, 598,229 were accredited, with 595,298 total votes cast. Of these, 584,054 were valid and 11,244 rejected.
Sixteen political parties participated in the poll, which saw Soludo’s APGA reaffirm its dominance in the state.
With the renewed mandate, Governor Soludo pledged to consolidate on his administration’s reforms and strengthen governance to ensure continued progress in Anambra State.