Anambra Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, has promised to elevate his performance in his second term, aiming to make the state a model of progress and development.
Speaking on Tuesday, November 11, at INEC headquarters in Awka, Soludo received his certificate of return from Dr. Ken Ikeagu, Supervising National Commissioner for the Anambra governorship election, following his landslide victory in the November 8 poll.
Describing the election as “free, fair, and credible,” Soludo praised President Bola Tinubu for ensuring transparency and thanked all who participated in the process.
“I want to assure you that with my deputy and our team, we are going to ensure that Anambra continues to shine. God has been with us, and God is still with us,” he said.
“I will work harder in my second tenure than I did in my first term, so that at the end of the eight years, Anambra will look back and be proud that the confidence reposed in me was not in vain.
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“I also call on my brothers and sisters who contested with me to join hands so we can move our state forward and make it a destination hub in Nigeria. My first thanks goes to the Almighty God for this overwhelming victory,” Soludo added.
The governor highlighted the historic scale of his win:
“For the first time in the history of Anambra State, a candidate got 73% of total votes cast, winning 98% of all wards and 99% of all polling units. There are several local governments where we did not lose even one polling unit.”
He applauded the massive voter turnout, security agencies, and INEC staff for ensuring that citizens’ votes were respected.
Soludo also acknowledged APGA’s support and stressed the importance of peaceful, credible elections in fostering trust in democracy.
According to official results, Soludo garnered 422,664 votes, decisively defeating his closest rival, Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu of the APC, who polled 99,445 votes. The YPP candidate, Sir Paul Chukwuma, came third with 37,753 votes.
A total of 16 candidates from 16 parties contested, with 598,229 accredited voters out of 2,788,864 registered, casting 595,298 votes, while 11,244 votes were rejected across 21 local government areas.