Governor Chukwuma Soludo has been declared the winner of the November 8, 2025, Anambra State governorship election, securing a second term in office after a sweeping victory across all 21 local government areas of the state.
The declaration was made in the early hours of Sunday by the State Returning Officer and Vice Chancellor of the University of Benin, Professor Omoregie Edoba, at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) headquarters in Awka, the state capital.
According to the final results, Soludo, who contested under the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), scored 422,664 votes to defeat his closest rival, Nicholas Ukachukwu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who polled 99,445 votes.
Other candidates trailed far behind, with Paul Chukwuma of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) securing 37,753 votes, George Moghalu of the Labour Party (LP) polling 10,576 votes, John Nwosu of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) with 8,208 votes, and Jude Ezenwafor of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) scoring 1,401 votes.
Okay News reports that sixteen candidates contested the poll, which INEC described as generally peaceful despite allegations of vote-buying and voter apathy.
In his declaration, Professor Edoba stated:
“I hereby declare that Soludo Chukwuma Charles of the APGA, having satisfied the requirements of the law, is hereby declared the winner and returned elected.”
The re-election marks another milestone for the 65-year-old former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, who first assumed office in 2021. His victory consolidates APGA’s political dominance in Anambra State, extending the party’s control beyond two decades.
However, the election was not without controversy. Several observers and opposition candidates raised concerns about vote-buying. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) confirmed the arrest of three suspects allegedly involved in electoral inducement and promised to charge them to court.
INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner for Anambra, Queen Agwu, dismissed the allegations, insisting that no credible evidence had been presented to support the claims.
“Vote-buying is a serious electoral offence. Anyone making such an accusation should provide verifiable evidence,” she said.
Soludo is expected to receive his certificate of return alongside his deputy, Onyeka Ibezim, in the coming days as preparations begin for his second term, which will run until 2030.
