Governor Chukwuma Soludo has secured a second term in office, keeping him at the government house in Akwa until 2030, after being declared the winner of the November 8 Anambra State governorship election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
According to the results announced by INEC in the early hours of Sunday, Mr Soludo won by a landslide in the 21 local government areas of the South-East state.
The State Returning Officer and Vice Chancellor of the University of Benin, Mr Omoregie Edoba, declared Mr Soludo as the winner of the exercise after the collation of results from the local government areas of the state where the election was held.
“I hereby declare that Soludo Charles Chukwuma of the APGA, having satisfied the requirements of the law, is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected,” Mr Edoba, a professor, told a gathering at the state headquarters of INEC in Awka, the state capital, where the election results were collated.
The electoral umpire said out of a total number of 2,788,864 registered voters, 598,229 were accredited for the election. It also said that of the total number of 595,298 votes cast in the election, 584,054 were valid while 11,244 were rejected.
Mr Soludo, the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), secured 422,664 votes to trounce his closest rival, the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s Nicholas Ukachukwu, who polled 99,445 votes.
Mr Paul Chukwuma of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) came third with 37,753 votes, while Mr John Nwosu of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) scored 8,208 votes.
Mr George Moghalu of the Labour Party (LP) and Mr Jude Ezenwafor of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) scored 10,576 votes and 1,401 votes, respectively.
Shortly after the results were announced, there was jubilation at the residence of the governor in Isoufia community, Aguata LGA.
In a statement personally signed by him, President Bola Tinubu congratulated Mr Soludo and described his re-election as a testament to his visionary leadership and the significant progress recorded under his administration.
“Governor Soludo, the Solution, has demonstrated that knowledge is indeed power and that academic principles can be applied in serving the people, undergirding accountability, transparency, and prudent management of people and resources.
“I visited Anambra State in May this year, where I inaugurated some projects executed by the Soludo administration. I highlighted the good thinking behind the landmark projects embarked upon by Mr Solution. That experience is indeed remarkable and will remain indelible in my mind.
“I commend Governor Soludo for bringing discipline, grace, brilliance, and a fresh perspective to governance in Anambra. Under him, Anambra is living up to its motto as the Light of the Nation.
“I urge Governor Soludo to be magnanimous in victory and to seek the cooperation of his opponents in the just-concluded election.
“I assure Governor Soludo of my unwavering support, and I look forward to continued collaboration between Anambra and the Federal Government.
“The victory of the opposition All Progressives Grand Alliance in the election again demonstrates the vitality of our political system and the fact that victory for any progressive and hardworking leader can hardly be encumbered or denied,” the President said.
President Tinubu also commended the new INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, and his team for conducting what he described as a credible election, based on reports received.
He charged the commission to maintain high standards and continue to improve its performance “so we can strengthen and deepen our electoral system.”