The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially presented certificates of return to Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, and his deputy, Dr. Onyekachukwu Ibezim, following their re-election victory in the November 8, 2025 governorship poll.
The presentation ceremony took place at the INEC headquarters in Awka, the Anambra State capital, on Tuesday. The Supervising INEC National Commissioner for the state election, Kenneth Ikeagu, handed over the certificates to the governor and his deputy, formally confirming their victory.
According to Ikeagu, “We are here to present the certificates of return to the Governor and Deputy Governor of Anambra State, following their successful outing during the governorship election held on Saturday, November 8, 2025. Section 72(1) of the Electoral Act 2022 mandates the Independent National Electoral Commission to issue a certificate of return within 14 days to every candidate who has been duly returned by the returning officer under the Act.”
Okay News reports that Soludo, who contested under the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), secured a resounding victory across all 21 local government areas of the state. The Returning Officer and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Benin, Professor Edoba Omoregie, announced the final results at the state collation centre in Awka.
INEC figures showed that Soludo polled a total of 422,664 votes, defeating his closest challenger, Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who scored 99,445 votes. The Young Progressives Party (YPP) candidate, Paul Chukwuma, came third with 37,753 votes.
The electoral body disclosed that out of the 2,788,864 registered voters in the state, 598,229 were accredited, with 595,298 votes cast, while 11,244 votes were rejected across the 21 council areas.
While addressing the audience after receiving his certificate, Governor Soludo expressed appreciation to the people of Anambra for their renewed confidence, assuring that his administration would focus on consolidating ongoing development projects and strengthening governance institutions.
He said the victory was “a renewed call to serve,” adding that he remained committed to building “a prosperous and secure Anambra that every resident can be proud of.”
Both Soludo and Ibezim attended the event alongside their wives and senior officials of the Anambra State Government.
The re-election further cements Soludo’s leadership under the APGA, a regional political party that has dominated Anambra politics for over a decade, originally gaining prominence under the late former governor Peter Obi before his defection to another party.
