•As Obi, ADC, SERAP, others kick
•APC candidate: I will consult widely before making a move
From Charles Onyekwere, Awka, and Mbachu Godwin, Abuja
Anambra State Governor, Professor Charles Soludo has won a second term in office following the result announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, yesterday.
Soludo, the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, secured 422,664 votes to beat his closest rival, Nicholas Ukachukwu of the All Progressives Congress, APC, who secured 99,445 votes.
According to the results announced by INEC, Gov Soludo won by a landslide in the 21 local government areas of Anambra State.
INEC Returning Officer and Vice Chancellor of the University of Benin, Professor Omoregie Edoba, while declaring results of the election said “I hereby declare that Soludo Charles Chukwuma of the APGA, having satisfied the requirements of the law, is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected”.
According to Edoba, Paul Chukwuma of the Young Progressives Party, YPP, came third with 37,753 votes, while John Nwosu of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, scored 8,208 votes.
Others are: George Moghalu of the Labour Party, LP, Jude Ezenwafor of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, who scored 10,576 votes and 1,401 votes, respectively.
Besides, from 2,788,864 registered voters, 598,229 were accredited for the election, adding that out of 595,298 votes cast in the election, 584,054 were valid while 11,244 were rejected.
In all 16 candidates contested for the November 8 election including Echezona Oti of the Allied People’s Movement, APM, Ms. Chioma Ifemeludike of the African Action Congress, AAC, Jeff Nweke of Action Alliance, AA, Charles Onyeze of Accord Party, AP, Geoff Onyejegbu of the New Nigeria Peoples, Party, NNPP, and Jude Ezenwafor of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP,
Nicholas Ukachukwu, APC, Chukwudubem Nweke, Action Peoples Party, APP, Jerry Okeke of the Boot Party, BP, Ndidi Olieh of the National Rescue Movement, NRM, Martin Ugwoji of the Zenith Labour Party, ZLP, as well as Vincent Chukwurah of the Social Democratic Party, SDP.
Meanwhile, the African Democratic Congress, ADC, has expressed dissatisfaction with the conduct of the Anambra 2025 gubernatorial election, describing it as a heavily monetized process that undermined the ideals of democracy.
In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party accused the incumbent governor , Prof Chukwuma Soludo and his party, the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, of engaging in widespread cash-for-votes.
The party also criticized the silence of security agencies and the inaction of electoral officials, which it said bordered on collusion.
The statement read, “The African Democratic Congress has observed the conduct of the just concluded Anambra gubernatorial election with a deep sense of concern for the electoral process in Nigeria. What unfolded in Anambra was, regrettably, a cash-drenched spectacle that was more of a bazaar than an election. This undermines the very essence of democracy.
“We wish to state categorically that, as has been widely reported and clearly shown to Nigerians and the international community, this election was highly monetized, with the incumbent and his party seen to have participated in several forms and styles of cash-for-votes. At polling units across the state, bundles of naira notes changed hands in full view. This was a brazen violation of the Electoral Act, whose foundation had been laid by the Governor himself well ahead of the election.
“Even more troubling was the apparent silence and in some instances, visible inaction of institutions mandated to enforce electoral integrity. Security operatives stood by as voters were harassed and compromised, while electoral officials, overwhelmed or indifferent, failed to uphold even the most basic standards. If this is the manner in which the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, intends to conduct the 2027 general election, then Nigerians have every reason to be worried about the future of our democracy, especially at a time when the state of our nation is under the microscope of the international community.
“On our part, the ADC remains committed to building a Nigeria where leadership is earned through integrity, inclusion, and service not through the crude exchange of cash for votes”.
Similarly, Deputy Governorship Candidate of APC Senator Uche Ekwunife, raised the alarm over what she termed widespread vote-buying during the exercise.
Ekwunife, who spoke shortly after casting her vote at Polling Unit 001, Nri, in Anaocha Local Government Area of the state noted that despite repeated warnings by the Independent National Electoral Commission and security agencies against electoral malpractices, vote-buying still took place on a large scale.
According to her, credible intelligence from the field indicates distribution of huge sums of money to polling units to influence voters.
She described the development as a dangerous setback for Nigeria’s democratic process and a betrayal of the people’s will.
“Many voters in the state were pressured through financial inducements into voting against their conscience.
“It is disheartening that instead of allowing the people to freely choose their leaders, some political actors have chosen to corrupt the process with money.
“This kind of monetisation of democracy must stop if we truly want progress in Anambra and Nigeria at large”, she said.
Ekwunife, however, commended the impressive turnout of voters, saying it was a strong indication that Anambra people wanted accountability and good governance,she said.
The APC deputy governorship candidate urged INEC officials and security agencies to remain vigilant, impartial and firm in ensuring that the election outcome reflected the genuine will of the people rather than the influence of money or intimidation.
Similarly, a former Anambra State Governor, Mr Peter Obi, has attributed the widespread vote-buying and selling reported in Anambra election to bad governance.
Obi made the remarks at Polling Unit 019, Agulu, in Anaocha Local Government Area after casting his vote at the ongoing Anambra governorship election.
He expressed concern over the scale of vote-buying, which he said ranged between N15,000 to N30,000.
“It is sad that bad governance is fueling vote-buying and selling.
“For an unemployed youth who sells his vote for N30,000, what will he be paid next month when there is no election?
“By selling your vote, you are selling no school, no hospital, no jobs and selling away your future. This is worrisome”, Obi said.
He urged journalists to collaborate in combating the menace.
Obi, a Labour Party candidate in the 2023 presidential election, described the contestants in the election as his friends.
“Whoever wins, let him serve the people.
“Nigeria needs service now. We need to pull our people out of poverty”, he said.
All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate in the Saturday’s governorship election in Anambra says he will consult his party and supporters before reacting to the outcome of the poll.
Ukachukwu made this known while reacting to the result of the election in Awka, yesterday.
He denied engaging in vote-buying by his party , the APC during the election, as alleged by the rulling All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, in the state.
The APC governorship candidate also said that the result of the election indicated that the APC was on ground in the state, against the rumour making the rounds that the party had no place.
He commended journalists for contributing to peaceful conduct of the election by balancing their reportage before, during and after the poll.
For its part Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, yesterday urged the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to had over vote-buyers during the Anambra governorship election to anti-graft agencies for investigation and prosecution.
This is contained in a letter dated November 8, 2025 and signed by SERAP Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare.
SERAP said the Anambra election witnessed widespread incidents of cash exchange and inducement across multiple polling units.
“The recurring cases of vote-buying and undue influence make a mockery of Nigeria’s electoral process and participatory democracy”, SERAP wrote.
“Unless the legacy of impunity for these grave electoral offences is combated and perpetrators effectively prosecuted, those contemplating vote buying will feel unconstrained in future elections”, it stated.
SERAP further stated that vote buying reportedly took place in the full view of election officials, with agents allegedly offering amounts ranging from N2,000 to N10,000 depending on the polling unit.
In specific terms SERSP stated that “At Igboukwu Ward 2, Central School PU 017, party agents were reportedly seen distributing N5,000 to voters openly, without any response or deterrent from security personnel”.
Contrastingly, National Chairman, All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, has described the governorship election in Anambra as “one of the most transparent and well-organised elections” in the history of the state.
Ezeokenwa commended the INEC for conducting a free, credible and peaceful governorship poll in Anambra.
Ezeokenwa made the commendation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, yesterday in Awka, while reacting to Soludo’s victory at the just concluded governorship poll.
According to the chairman, Anambra has never witnessed an election conducted like that of Nov. 8 in the past.
“INEC deserves commendation for ensuring transparency and fairness throughout the process”, he said.
Ezeokenwa also appreciated residents of the state and the media for their peaceful conduct and cooperation during the election.
Soludo a former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, was first elected in November 2021.
His second and final term as Governor will elapsed in the year 2030.
Meanwhile, congratulatory messages have been pouring in for the 65-year-old second term Governor.
