Governor Chukwuma Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has been declared the winner of the November 8 Anambra State governorship election, securing a second term until 2030.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced that Soludo garnered 422,664 votes, defeating APC’s Nicholas Ukachukwu, who scored 99,445 votes. Paul Chukwuma of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) received 37,753 votes, while ADC’s John Nwosu scored 8,208 votes. Other contenders included candidates from Labour Party, PDP, and 11 additional parties.

Professor Omoregie Edoba, the State Returning Officer, confirmed that Soludo met all legal requirements and was duly returned elected. Party agents signed the result sheets shortly after the announcement.

The election was largely peaceful under the deployment of 45,000 police personnel. Allegations of vote-buying were raised, leading to the arrest of three suspects by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), but INEC dismissed the claims due to insufficient evidence.

Soludo, 65, who previously served as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, had won his first term in 2021, sweeping 19 of the 21 local government areas. He pledged to consolidate his achievements and address the state’s security and economic challenges during his second tenure. Certificates of return for Soludo and his running mate, Onyeka Ibezim, are expected soon.