The Independent National Electoral Commission has confirmed Governor Chukwuma Soludo as winner of the November 8 governorship election in Anambra State. Soludo, who ran under APGA, secured 422,664 votes. APC’s Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu finished second with 99,445, while YPP candidate Paul Chukwuma scored 37,753. Labour Party’s George Moghalu had 10,576, and ADC’s John Nwosu polled 8,208.
The outcome underscored Soludo’s strong political footing and the disorganisation of his rivals. Internal divisions within the Labour Party resulted in parallel candidacies and confusion among supporters. One voter from Nnewi South remarked, “We were ready to vote Labour, but no one even came here to campaign,” adding that party factions “were fighting themselves while Soludo was busy working.”
The PDP also struggled. Ongoing national leadership disputes and defections hindered mobilisation, with many aspirants declining to purchase forms. The party eventually fielded Jude Ezenwafor as its sole candidate.
The contest drew allegations of vote buying across polling units. Some voters claimed candidates offered sums ranging from N5,000 to N30,000. Moghalu said he lost his polling unit because he refused to engage in inducement, arguing, “I couldn’t afford how much that was being paid… they have too much money to buy votes.” He alleged that individuals caught purchasing votes wore APGA tags.
Soludo’s incumbency and campaign messaging around infrastructure, education, and economic initiatives bolstered support. APGA’s grassroots network also played a critical role, with party agents visibly present across the state.
Analyst Nduka Odo said the result reflects the state of opposition politics and warned that similar outcomes could occur in 2027 if rival parties fail to unite. He noted, “Kudos to the APGA team for taking up almost all the votes… this should serve as a serious lesson to those in opposition.”
