Former governor of Nigeria’s Central Bank and governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Professor Charles Soludo has been declared winner of Anambra state governorship election.
Soludo was declared winner by the Chief Returning Officer of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the poll, early on Wednesday morning, having secured the most votes from the election which began on Saturday, November 6, 2021, and was concluded on Tuesday, November 9, 2021.
His victory follows his securing the most votes in 19 out of the 21 local government areas of Anambra state.
The Returning Officer of the Anambra Governorship Election, Prof Florence Obi, announced the result on Wednesday morning at the INEC office in Awka, Anambra State.
“That Charles Chukwuma Soludo of APGA, having satisfied the requirements of the law is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected,” the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calabar said on Wednesday.
Soludo, who was the apex bank governor between 2004 and 2009, was declared winner after the November 6 election was declared inconclusive by INEC and after a supplementary election was held in the Ihiala Local Government Area of the state on Tuesday. He won 19 of the 21 local governments areas including Ihiala LGA.
Sixty one-year-old Soludo won with 112,229 votes beating Valentine Ozigbo of the Peoples Democratic Party, who polled 53,807 votes, and Andy Uba of the All Progressives Congress who got 43,285 votes. Ifeanyi Ubah of the Young Progressive Party polled 21,261 votes came fourth.
Soludo’s walk to victory was paved with stony challenges including legal battles and intra-party squabbles but the Supreme Court in Abuja affirmed him as APGA governorship candidate. This was after the sacking of a former APGA candidate, Chukwuma Umeoji, by the court.
Umeoji, who is the current member of the House of Representatives representing Aguata Federal Constituency in Anambra State, was recently sacked by a court decision after his name had been listed by the Independent National Electoral Commission as APGA’s candidate.
The court then ordered INEC to replace Umeoji with Soludo as the validly elected candidate of APGA for the governorship election.
Also in April 2021 during the build-up to the election, Soludo narrowly escaped death when gunmen unleashed terror on him and his security aides during a town hall meeting in his hometown in Isuofia in the Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra.
Three of his police orderlies were killed during the attack which he described as “senseless”. Soludo dedicated his victory to the three policemen in his acceptance speech on Wednesday.
Charles Soludo is expected to be sworn into office next March after the expiration of the two-term tenure of the incumbent governor, Willie Obiano, who is also of the All Progressives Grand Alliance.
Again, Mr Valentine Ozigbo, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party and Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, candidate of the Young Progressives Party each won a local government. Senator Andy Uba of the All Progressives Congress (APC) did not win any local government area during the election.
With a total vote of 112,229, Soludo defeated his closest rival, Valentine Ozigbo of the PDP who scored 53,807 votes.
Official INEC results for 2021 Anambra gubernatorial election of the four top scoring political parties:
(1) Dunukofia LGA
APC 1991
APGA 4124
PDP 1680
YPP 1360
(2) Awka South LGA
APC 2595
APGA 12,891
PDP 5498
YPP 919
(3) Oyi LGA
APC 2830
APGA 6133
PDP 2484
YPP 900
(4) Ayamelum LGA
APC 2409
APGA 3424
PDP 2804
YPP 407
(5) Anaocha LGA
APC 2085
APGA 6911
PDP 5108
YPP 868
(6) Anambra East LGA
APC 2034
APGA 9747
PDP 1380
YPP 559
(7) Idemili South LGA
APC 1039
APGA 2312
PDP 2016
YPP 752
(8) Onitsha South LGA
APC 2050
APGA 4281
PDP 2253
YPP 271
(9) Njikoka LGA
APC 3216
APGA 8803
PDP 3409
YPP 924
(10) Nnewi North LGA
APC 1278
APGA 3369
PDP 1511
YPP 6485
(11) Orumba South LGA
APC 2060
APGA 4394
PDP 1672
YPP 887
(12) Ogbaru LGA
APC 1178
APGA 3051
PDP 3445
YPP 484
(13) Onitsha North LGA
APC 3909
APGA 5587
PDP 3781
YPP 682
(14) Aguata LGA
APC 4773
APGA 9136
PDP 3798
YPP 1070
(15) Ihiala LGA
APC 343
APGA 8283
PDP 2485
YPP 344
(16) Idemili North LGA
APC 2291
APGA 5358
PDP 2312
YPP 902
(17) Ekwusigo LGA
APC 1237
APGA 2570
PDP 1857
YPP 727
(18) Nnewi South LGA
APC 1307
APGA 3243
PDP 2226
YPP 1327
(19) Orumba North LGA
APC – 2672
APGA – 4787
PDP – 1847
YPP- 655
(20) Awka North LGA
APC 755
APGA 1908
PDP 840
YPP 381
(21) Anambra West LGA
APC 1233
APGA 1918
PDP 1401
YPP 357
SUMMARY
Total results from the 21 LGAs collated for all the political parties:
(1) APC: 43,285
(2) APGA: 112,229
(3) PDP: 53,807
(4) YPP: 21,261
(5) A: 2,054
(6) AA: 83
(7) AAC: 588
(8) ADC: 324
(9) ADP: 773
(10) APN: 301
(11) APP: 139
(12) BP: 186
(13) LP: 2,802
(14) NNPP: 117
(15) NRM: 213
(16) SDP: 842
(17) ZLP: 2,082
(18) PRP: 437
NOTES
(1) APGA won 19 out of 21 local governments.
(2) PDP won 1 local government.
(3) YPP won 1 local government.
(4) Total number of registered voters 2, 246, 663.8
(5) Total number of accredited voters 253, 388
(6) Total number of valid votes 241, 523
(7) Total number of rejected votes 8, 108
(8) Total number of votes cast 249, 631
Ihiala Supplementary Poll Result
Announcing the result, Dr German Anagbogu of the University of Calabar, who worked as the returning officer for the local government stated that: “12, 298 is the total number of accredited voters in the area.”
APC polled 343 votes
APGA polled 8,283 votes
PDP polled 2,485, while
the YPP got 344 votes.
This brought to 19, the number of local government areas won by APGA in the election.
Anagbogu, however, reported that elections could not hold in two communities because of resistance.
He said: “In the process of the election, we received report that there was resistance in Orsumoghu and Lilu, as INEC deployed to the communities, but could not enter.”
WHY APC REFUSED TO SIGN ANAMBRA GOVERNORSHIP ELECTION RESULTS
The APC has given reason for not signing the Anambra State Governorship election results. The APC agent at INCE headquarters told news men that his party does not believe in the whole process of the just concluded election.
He stated that they disagree with the results and the election process.
The APC chieftain who cites areas where election didn’t hold as not been fair surprisingly declared that he does not know exactly what his party wants from INEC or the election as it stands now.
He went further to refuse to acknowledge Prof Charles Soludo as the governor elect insisting that he will get to his party and candidate before anything.
It’s time to work, join me — Soludo
Meanwhile, Governor-elect, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, has extended a hand of fellowship to the other opponents who contested the election with him to join efforts with him to develop the state.
In an acceptance speech shortly after Professor Florence Banku Obi, the chief returning officer for the Anambra 2021 Governorship Election, returned him as winner of the poll, Professor Soludo vowed to ”work hard everyday and never disappoint Anambra people.”
Thanking the INEC, for a successful election, even though many people could not vote, he said the outcome reflects the will of Anambra people.
”There is joy in the land. Kudos to INEC,” Soludo said.
He extended a hand of fellowship to his opponents, noting that the keenly contested election is over.
”We are all winners. I extend a hand of fellowship to other candidates.
“Everybody is a winner. We are brothers, lets join hand to develop Anambra,” he said.
Charles Soludo noted that ”in Anambra politicians fight elections keenly” but after the people have spoken and with the voice of the people being the voice of God, the contest is over.
“Now, is the time to work. I need your support to succeed. Let’s work together to realise the vision of our founding fathers to make Anambra the industrial hub of West Africa.
“That is our manifest destiny. Let’s keep the spirit of Anambra alive,” he appealed.
