The Gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, is leading by a wide margin after the election results in 19 Local Government Areas have been collated by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The APGA man is leading after securing 389,789 votes in the election, well ahead of the All Progressives Congress candidate Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu, who polled 91,592 votes. Dr. George Moghalu of the Labour Party currently holds the third position with 10,366 votes.
Anambra state has only 21 Local government Areas, and after the collation of results from 19 LGAs, the electoral body is left with just two local governments to have an official winner. Governor Soludo’s proposed win is well in line with Anambra’s political history, where APGA candidates have all retained their seats after a first tenure.
Governor Soludo is the third governor in a row to win a second tenure under APGA, following Ex-Governor Peter Obi, Chief Willie Obiano, and now Prof Chukwuma Soludo.
The APC in the state made significant inroads, powered by the veteran Anambra politician, Uche Ekwunife, who ran as the Deputy Governor to the APC Candidate in the elections. A significant milestone achieved was the defeat of Peter Obi in his polling unit in Agulu, a sign of increased political influence in Anambra State.
At the time of the report, the election collation is still ongoing at the INEC headquarters in Awka as Nigeria awaits the official winner of the gubernatorial elections.
Political speculators believe the incumbent Anambra Governor would decamp to the APC in the coming months, following in the footsteps of Enugu’s Peter Mbah and Bayelsa’s governor. This remains a speculation at its best, raising questions about the future of APGA as a party, as Anambra remains its only stronghold.
The Anambra elections were largely peaceful, with no recorded cases of violence throughout the state. However, Independent election observers highlighted rampant vote buying by various candidates in the election, highlighting the lapses in voter education and awareness amongst Ndi Anambra.
