Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo has described his victory at Saturday’s governorship election in Anambra State as a clear confirmation of the people’s choice.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Returning Officer, Prof. Edoba Omoregie, Vice Chancellor of the University of Benin, announced the results, declaring Soludo winner after he polled 422,664 votes to defeat his closest rival, Nicholas Ukachukwu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who scored 99,445 votes.
Speaking shortly after his declaration, Soludo expressed gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, whom he described as “a true democrat” for ensuring a free, fair, and credible election in the state.
“The people have spoken and their votes counted,” the Governor said. “I thank INEC, especially the new chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan. I’m delighted that your first outing was impressive,INEC truly delivered.”
Soludo commended INEC’s deployment of technology, noting that transparency was enhanced through real-time upload of polling unit results on the IReV portal.
“As at midnight, over 99 percent of polling unit results had been uploaded on the IReV portal, and everyone could access them in real time,” he said. “This is the best election INEC has organised in Anambra so far.”
The Governor also congratulated his fellow contestants, urging them to see politics as a contest of ideas rather than enmity.
“Sixteen of us were on the ballot, and obviously, one person had to win. In the Anambra way, we may contest fiercely, but afterwards, we come together as one people. I extend a hand of fellowship to all my fellow contestants; I am ready to work with everyone for the greater good of our dear state,” he added.
Dedicating his victory to the people of Anambra, Soludo described the outcome as “a historic mandate” reflecting growing civic participation.
“Four years ago, with low voter turnout, you elected us with 112,000 votes. This time, you spoke loudly. For the first time, voter participation crossed the 20 percent mark as 22 percent of registered voters came out, and you re-elected us with 73 percent of total votes,” he said.
He pledged to accelerate development efforts across the state, assuring that his administration will work even harder in its renewed mandate.
“We applied for the job, and you have re-employed us. With this renewed trust and partnership, we’ll move into high gear to deliver more for Anambra. Now that the people have spoken, let’s get to work you ain’t seen anything yet,” Soludo concluded.
