The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Governor Chukwuma Soludo the winner of the November 8 governorship election in Anambra State. Soludo, who contested on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), polled 422,664 votes to emerge victorious. His closest rival, Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), scored 99,445 votes, while the candidate of the Young Progressives Party (YPP), Paul Chukwuma, secured 37,753 votes.
The election outcome was largely expected, given the disarray within the opposition parties. The Labour Party, for instance, was plagued by internal turmoil, with competing factions producing parallel candidates and creating voter apathy. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) also struggled with leadership battles and defections, which affected its performance in the election.
Meanwhile, Soludo’s campaign focused on his record in office, emphasizing visible infrastructure projects, education reforms, and economic initiatives. He leveraged APGA’s grassroots network, particularly in rural areas, to dominate polling units across the state. The result was a predictable sweep of the 21 local governments, with APGA winning by a wide margin.
However, the election was not without controversy, with reports of vote-buying and irregularities. Some party leaders and candidates alleged that votes were being bought, with prices ranging from N20,000 to N30,000 per vote. The candidate of the Labour Party, George Moghalu, blamed his loss on vote-buying, accusing the ruling APGA of being the main culprit.
Analysts have warned that the opposition parties should take the Anambra election as a lesson, ahead of future polls. According to Nduka Odo, a public affairs analyst, the opposition parties need to put their houses in order and work together if they hope to challenge the ruling party in 2027. The election has highlighted the state of opposition politics in the country, with the APGA’s strong performance in Anambra serving as a reminder of the importance of cohesion and strategy in electoral contests.