Soludo re-elected as Anambra Governor, wins in landslide with 422,664 votes

Soludo re-elected as Anambra Governor, wins in landslide with 422,664 votes

The candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Professor Chukwuma Soludo, has been declared winner of the Anambra State governorship election, securing a landslide victory across the 21 local government areas of the state.

The Returning Officer, Professor Edoba Omoregie, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Benin, announced Soludo’s victory at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) headquarters in Awka after the final collation of results.

Omoregie said Soludo polled a total of 422,664 votes to defeat his closest rival, Nicholas Ukachukwu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who scored 99,445 votes. The Labour Party (LP) candidate, George Moghalu, came third with 10,576 votes.

Other results showed: African Democratic Congress (ADC) – 8,208; Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) – 1,401; Young Progressives Party (YPP) – 37,753; Action Alliance (AA) – 1,145; and African Action Congress (AAC) – 292 votes.

The election, held on November 8, recorded 2,788,864 registered voters, 598,228 accredited voters, 584,054 valid votes, 11,244 rejected votes, and a total of 595,298 votes cast.

Election Incidents

INEC confirmed cases of ballot snatching and disruptions in some areas. Votes from Bridge Head 2 Ward in Onitsha South LGA were nullified after ballot snatching at the point of collation.
In Nri, Anaocha LGA, results were cancelled due to overvoting and violence, while two polling units in Anambra West LGA were also voided for similar reasons.

READ ALSO:

• U.S. lawmaker warns Nigeria: Don’t test Trump’s resolve on Christian killings
• Tinubu can replicate Awolowo’s welfarist legacy nationwide — Bisi Akande
• Soludo leads Anambra governorship race, wins 19 LGAs as collation nears completion

The election featured 16 governorship candidates, with voting beginning at various times across the 21 LGAs.

Allegations of Vote-Buying

Candidates of the APC, APGA, and Labour Party had raised concerns over alleged vote-buying in parts of the state.
The Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) reported instances where party agents allegedly distributed cash and food items in locations including Achalla, Igbariam, Utuh, and Ezira.

“These incidents expose how impunity, voter desperation, and weak enforcement continue to undermine democracy,” CJID said, calling for stronger law enforcement and civic education to tackle the problem.

However, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Anambra, Queen Elizabeth Agwu, dismissed the allegations, saying no concrete evidence had been presented.

“Vote-buying is a serious offence. Anyone making such claims should provide facts and figures. You can’t just go on television and allege vote-buying everywhere without evidence,” she stated.

Breakdown of Results by Local Government Area

• Dunukofia: APGA – 14,892 | APC – 3,284 | LP – 71 | ADC – 232
• Njikoka: APGA – 22,213 | APC – 5,687 | LP – 311 | ADC – 236
• Awka North: APGA – 15,895 | APC – 3,661 | LP – 299 | ADC – 815
• Aguata: APGA – 35,559 | APC – 4,125 | LP – 124 | ADC – 301
• Orumba South: APGA – 19,818 | APC – 2,828 | LP – 16 | ADC – 361
• Orumba North: APGA – 24,664 | APC – 2,615 | LP – 131 | ADC – 115
• Oyi: APGA – 18,882 | APC – 5,118 | LP – 3,641 | ADC – 167
• Anambra East: APGA – 14,665 | APC – 3,108 | LP – 304 | ADC – 157
• Ayamelum: APGA – 13,340 | APC – 7,478 | LP – 117 | ADC – 470
• Nnewi North: APGA – 20,320 | APC – 5,441 | LP – 1,140 | ADC – 553
• Nnewi South: APGA – 17,286 | APC – 9,281 | LP – 73 | ADC – 127
• Ogbaru: APGA – 22,803 | APC – 3,768 | LP – 347 | ADC – 465
• Onitsha North: APGA – 24,225 | APC – 4,677 | LP – 500 | ADC – 514
• Onitsha South: APGA – 15,742 | APC – 4,156 | LP – 615 | ADC – 231
• Anaocha: APGA – 20,118 | APC – 5,956 | LP – 483 | ADC – 255
• Idemili North: APGA – 25,498 | APC – 6,383 | LP – 1,275 | ADC – 722
• Idemili South: APGA – 17,224 | APC – 6,015 | LP – 276 | ADC – 213
• Ekwusigo: APGA – 18,749 | APC – 2,973 | LP – 194 | ADC – 261
• Awka South: APGA – 27,896 | APC – 5,038 | LP – 520 | ADC – 1,726
• Anambra West: APGA – 9,318 | APC – 3,428 | LP – 58 | ADC – 152
• Ihiala: APGA – 23,557 | APC – 4,425 | LP – 81 | ADC – 135

Soludo re-elected as Anambra Governor, wins in landslide with 422,664 votes