Anambra: Kudos, Knocks Greet Soludo’s Victory

Mixed reactions have trailed Professor Chukwuma Soludo’s re-election as the Governor of Anambra State for a second term.

A candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Soludo won the state governorship election held Saturday, November 8, 2025, with a total of 422,664 votes.

His closest rival, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu, scored a total of 99,445 votes.

The returning officer for the governorship election, and Vice-chancellor of the University of Benin, Edo state, Professor Edoba Omoregie, declared the results of the governorship election across the state at the state headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Awka, on Sunday.

According to the results, Soludo won the election in all the 21 local government areas of the state.
Declaring the result, Prof Omoregie said, “The number of registered voters was 2,788,864 while accredited voters was 598,229. Total valid votes was 584,054, while rejected votes was 11,244 and total votes cast was 595,298.”

Soludo’s Second-Term Victory Shows His Ideas Are Working — Tinubu

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has congratulated Anambra State governor, Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, on his re-election, describing the victory as proof that the governor’s ideas and policies are yielding positive results for the people.

In a statement personally signed by him on Sunday,President Tinubu said the outcome of the election was a clear affirmation of Soludo’s visionary and disciplined leadership, noting that the people of Anambra had once again demonstrated confidence in his administration’s capacity to deliver progress and development.

“The overwhelming victory he recorded in Saturday’s poll has now made him the third governor in Anambra’s history to win a second term,” the President said. “Professor Soludo’s re-election is a testament to his visionary leadership and the significant progress the state has made under his guidance.”

President Tinubu commended the governor for translating his intellectual background and academic excellence into practical governance, stressing that Soludo had shown that knowledge and innovation could drive sustainable growth.

“Governor Soludo, the Solution, has demonstrated that indeed knowledge is power and that academic principles can be applied in serving the people, undergirding accountability, transparency, and prudent management of people and resources,” Tinubu said.

The President recalled his visit to Anambra in May, where he inaugurated several projects executed by the Soludo administration. He said the experience gave him firsthand insight into the depth of planning and the vision guiding the governor’s development agenda.

“I highlighted the good thinking behind the landmark projects being embarked upon by Mr Solution. That experience is indeed remarkable and will remain indelible in my mind,” he added.

Tinubu also praised the people of Anambra State, security agencies, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the peaceful and credible conduct of the poll, describing it as a demonstration of the nation’s growing democratic maturity.

ADC’s Nwosu Rejects Outcome

Candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the Saturday, November 8, 2025, Anambra state governorship election, Mr. John Chuma Nwosu has rejected the result of the election.

The returning officer of the governorship election and Vice-chancellor of the University of Benin, Edo state, Professor Edoba Omoregie has declared the incumbent state governor and candidate of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), Professor Chukwuma Soludo winner with a total of 422,664 votes.
But Nwosu, who came fifth in the election with a total of 8, 204 votes, has rejected the results, insisting that he would press on to make sure that a true winner emerged.

He argued that the election was characterised by large scale of vote-buying adding that “In almost every polling unit, voters were openly induced with cash ranging from N3,000 to N20,000, turning the entire process into a market place rather than a democratic exercise”.

Ukachukwu, Muoghalu Reject Result, Allege Vote-buying, Intimidation Of Supporters

Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu, and, his Labour Party (LP) counterpart, Chief George Moghalu, have rejected the outcome of the Saturday, November 8, 2025 governorship election in the state.

But Ukachukwu later in his reaction rejected the outcome of the governorship, alleging that it was marred by vote-buying and violence leading to Intimidation of his supporters.

For instance, he alleged that one of his supporters at Anambra East local government area after being beaten up, had her house burnt by APGA supporters because she mobilised voters massively to vote for APC.

Ukachukwu said: “Anambra people voted massively for me because they are tired of the incumbent. You would have seen more if not that they engaged in vote buying. The story from day one was that APC does not exist in Anambra.

“They also claimed that I would come a distance third. Now you can see that APC is truly in Anambra. They came with the power of incumbency; offering money to buy people votes. They did a whole lot of things to intimidate my supporters but some of them resisted,” he added.

Similarly, his LP counterpart, Moghalu alleged that the governorship election was characterised by large scale electoral malpractices.

Moghalu in a statement argued “The election is not free and fair. There are cases of vote buying. In many cases, result sheets were not there, but elections were going on.

“Cases like that abound with evidences. On the social media, you see people carrying money and giving money.

“There were also cases of voter intimidation. In Idemili North, one of my major supporters was beaten; but that shouldn’t happen. They came to pick him up from his house but he resisted, so they beat him black and blue.

“INEC has their own shortcomings and failures. Security agencies, on their own, assured us of protection. That was why they sent 45,000 policemen, over 20 CPs, AIGs, DIGs and so on; but at the end of the day, they were not able to stop vote buying. Vote buying was everywhere; it was visible,” he said.

ADC Faults Anambra Poll, Says Vote-Buying Is Threat To Nigeria’s Democracy

ADC has criticised the conduct of the Anambra governorship election, describing it as a “cash-and-carry” exercise that undermines democracy.

In a statement issued on Sunday by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party expressed worry that the process was heavily influenced by money, warning that the trend poses a serious danger to Nigeria’s democratic future.

According to the ADC, the election was “a cash-drenched spectacle rather than a contest of ideas,” as reports from across the state showed open distribution of money to voters.

Ifemeludike Decries Vote Buying, Says Anambra Election Rewarded Deception Over Integrity

African Action Congress (AAC) governorship candidate in the just-concluded Anambra State election, Chioma Ifemeludike, has expressed disappointment over the conduct of the poll, saying it rewarded political deceit instead of integrity.

The activist and filmmaker said the outcome of the election was a reflection of how money politics continues to overshadow genuine leadership and moral values in the country.

In a post on her X handle on Sunday, Ifemeludike said she was proud to have contested with clean hands, stressing that no amount of political manipulation could dent her belief in truth and accountability.

“I may not have won by votes, but I have won with integrity. I will always stand for truth, even when it’s not popular,” she wrote.

Her remarks came after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Governor Chukwuma Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) winner of the election held across the 21 local government areas of the state.

Meanwhile, operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) confirmed the arrest of three suspected vote buyers in different parts of the state. The agency said the suspects would be prosecuted after investigations are concluded.

Despite losing at the polls, Ifemeludike maintained that her participation was a victory for integrity and conscience.

Anambra: Rights Group Seeks Prosecution Of Sponsors Of Vote Buying

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called for the prosecution of alleged sponsors of vote buying during Saturday’s governorship elections in Anambra State.

SERAP, which made the demand in an open letter to the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, wants all indicted persons to be referred to relevant anti-corruption agencies and the police for investigation and prosecution.

The civil society organisation specifically urged INEC to collaborate closely with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and the police to identify, name, and shame the suspected perpetrators and their sponsors, ensuring their effective prosecution.

In a letter dated November 8, 2025, and signed by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP stated that the recurring cases of vote buying and undue influence make a mockery of Nigeria’s electoral process and participatory democracy.

NGF Congratulates Governor Soludo On Re-election

The Nigeria Governors’ Forum has congratulated Prof. Charles Soludo on his re- election as Anambra State governor.

NGF’s congratulatory message to Soludo was contained in a statement personally signed by the its chairman and governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.

The forum said the clear margin of victory underscores the popularity of the governor and his programmes among Anambrarians.

Part of the statement reads: “We are confident that this deserving victory will enable His Excellency to consolidate on his great achievements across different sectors.

“We also congratulate the people of Anambra and all the stakeholders on the orderly and peaceful conduct of the election — another proof that Nigerians have fully embraced democracy and rule of law as a choice form of governance.
“We also commend the Independent National Electoral Commission and the security agencies for the orderly electoral process so far.”

Vote-buying Undermines Legitimacy Of Elections — Yiaga Africa

The Anambra Election Observation Hub, led by Yiaga Africa in partnership with The Kukah Centre, International Press Centre, ElectHER and others, has decried the increasing cases of vote-buying in Nigerian elections, describing it as a significant threat to the nation’s democracy.

In a post-election statement, yesterday jointly signed by Yiaga Africa’s Executive Director, Samson Itodo, and Chair of the 2025 Anambra Election Mission, Dr Asmau Maikudi, said “The malpractice “erodes equality in election competition and undermines the legitimacy of electoral victory.”

The coalition, which deployed 711 citizen observers across the 21 local government areas of Anambra State, utilised the Process and Results Verification for Transparency (PRVT) methodology — formerly known as Parallel Vote Tabulation — to monitor the governorship election.

According to the statement, 250 stationary observers were deployed to randomly selected polling units, ensuring an independent verification of the official results declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

“Our findings show that the results announced by INEC are consistent with Yiaga Africa’s PRVT estimates for all 21 LGAs,” the report said.

Yiaga Africa commended the people of Anambra for conducting themselves peacefully during the voting and collation process, as well as the security agencies for maintaining order and ensuring the process was conducted smoothly.

However, it expressed concern that less than half of the polling units were operational at the official start time, urging INEC to address “persistent logistical bottlenecks” that continue to undermine public confidence in the electoral process.

The group also called for a national conversation on low voter turnout, especially among young people, warning that the trend poses “a serious challenge to democratic legitimacy and participation.”

According to Yiaga Africa’s analysis, voter turnout ranged between 20.3% and 22.9%, consistent with INEC’s official figure of 21.35%. The rate of rejected ballots was within 1.6% and 2.2%, confirming the credibility of the results.