Soludo Re-Elected As Anambra Governor, Wins All 21 LGAs
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Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has secured a second term in office after being declared winner of the November 8, 2025 Anambra State governorship election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
According to results announced by INEC in the early hours of Sunday, Soludo recorded a landslide victory across all 21 local government areas of the state.
The State Returning Officer and Vice Chancellor of the University of Benin, Prof. Omoregie Edoba, officially declared Soludo the winner after the collation of results in Awka, the state capital.
“I hereby declare that Soludo Chukwuma Charles of the APGA, having satisfied the requirements of the law, is hereby declared the winner and returned elected,” Prof. Edoba announced.
Soludo garnered 422,664 votes, defeating his closest rival, Nicholas Ukachukwu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who polled 99,445 votes. Paul Chukwuma of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) came third with 37,753 votes, while George Moghalu of the Labour Party (LP) and John Nwosu of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) scored 10,576 and 8,208 votes respectively. Jude Ezenwafor of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) trailed with 1,401 votes.
Following the announcement, jubilation broke out at Soludo’s residence in Isuofia, Aguata Local Government Area, as supporters celebrated his victory.
The re-election gives the 65-year-old former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) another four-year term to continue his administration’s policies under the APGA banner.
Sixteen political parties and their candidates participated in the election, which was generally peaceful but marred by low voter turnout and allegations of vote-buying.
Ahead of the polls, the Nigeria Police Force deployed about 45,000 personnel across the 21 LGAs to ensure a smooth exercise.
Despite the heavy security presence, reports of voter apathy and vote-buying emerged from some polling units. Several candidates, including Soludo himself, expressed concern over the monetisation of the electoral process.
APC candidate Nicholas Ukachukwu condemned the practice, saying, “If there’s no seller, there cannot be a buyer. Some people have chosen to sell their conscience, which is even worse than those who buy votes.”
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) confirmed the arrest of three suspects for alleged vote-buying and stated that they would be charged in court.
However, the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Anambra State, Queen Agwu, dismissed the claims of widespread vote-buying, insisting that there was no concrete evidence to substantiate them.
“Vote-buying is a serious offence. Anyone with evidence should present facts and figures. You can’t just go on television and claim there’s vote-buying everywhere without proof,” Agwu said during a Channels Television interview.
INEC reiterated its commitment to transparency, noting that the election results were uploaded on its Results Viewing Portal (IReV).
With his victory confirmed, Governor Soludo and his running mate, Onyeka Ibezim, are expected to receive their certificates of return from INEC in the coming days.
Soludo, who first assumed office in 2021 after a similar landslide victory, has pledged to consolidate on his first-term achievements, focusing on infrastructure, education, and economic reforms.
