By Ayodele Oni & Akinwale Kasali
From the onset, most people knew that Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo had no competitor in the November 8 Governorship Election. They knew the race was going to be easy and swift. They knew it was going to be a walk-over. He even foresaw it. He had said, during one of his campaigns that the contest was going to be between Chukwuma Soludo vs Chukwuma Soludo.
Indeed it was.
The defeat was effortless. He spared none. It was merciless. Within about 10 hours after the election, the result was obvious.
Governor Soludo, to get his second term gave other “participants” a knock out”. They scored zero. It was a no contest. Some big guns lost not only in their Local Government Areas, but in their polling units.
No wonder he said he regarded the day as just another day. While the “participants” were screaming “vote-buying”, he said he was busy discussing his 2026 budget.
As the result was finally announced celebrations broke out among the Governor’s Political Parties, All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, and his friends and loyalists.
Prof. Edoba Omoregie, Returning Officer and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Benin, announced the results early Sunday at INEC’s state collation center in Awka.
Soludo polled 422,664 votes, dominating all 21 Local Government Areas, a rare feat matched only once before in Anambra’s history.
His closest rival, APC’s Nicholas Ukachukwu, garnered 101,089 votes, followed by Labour Party’s George Moghalu with 10,576 and PDP’s Jude Ezenwafor with 9,281.
“Having satisfied the requirements of the law and scored the highest number of votes, Soludo Charles Chukwuma is hereby declared winner and returned elected,” Omoregie stated, certifying total valid votes at 584,054 from 5,720 polling units, with 98% uploaded to INEC’s IReV portal for real-time verification.
The incumbent governor, who voted at PU 002 in Isuofia Ward, Aguata LGA, hailed the outcome as a “mandate for continuity and progress.
“This is Anambra’s victory peaceful, credible, and reflective of our people’s aspirations,” Soludo said in his acceptance speech, pledging deeper investments in security, education, and infrastructure.
Observers from Yiaga Africa and civil society groups praised INEC’s efficiency, noting minimal disruptions despite isolated reports of vote-buying.
APGA’s triumph extends its grip on Anambra, following predecessors Peter Obi and Willie Obiano.
Ukachukwu congratulated Soludo but urged probes into alleged irregularities, while opposition parties vowed judicial reviews.
Voter turnout hovered at 65%, buoyed by BVAS technology and early result transmissions.
Discover more from The Source
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
