The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Tuesday officially confirmed the re-election of Anambra State Governor Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo and his deputy, Dr Onyekachukwu Ibezim, by presenting them with their certificates of return.
The presentation ceremony, held at the INEC headquarters in Awka, was presided over by Kenneth Ikeagu, INEC’s Supervising National Commissioner for Anambra State. The event came two days after the electoral body declared Soludo and Ibezim the winners of the 8 November governorship election.
Addressing attendees, Ikeagu reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to upholding the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022, noting that Section 72(1) mandates INEC to issue certificates of return within 14 days to every candidate duly elected by a returning officer.
“In compliance with this provision, it is my honour to present the certificates of return to the Governor and Deputy Governor-elect, who emerged victorious in the election,” Ikeagu said.
Running under the banner of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Soludo secured a decisive victory over his closest rival, Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who garnered 99,445 votes. Paul Chukwuma of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) came third with 37,753 votes.
The Returning Officer, Prof. Edoba Omoregie, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Benin, announced that Soludo received 422,664 votes, winning across all 21 local government areas of the state.
According to INEC, 16 candidates representing various political parties contested the poll. Out of 2,788,864 registered voters, 598,229 were accredited, with 595,298 votes cast and 11,244 votes rejected.
Governor Soludo and his deputy were accompanied by their wives during the ceremony, which drew cheers from party members, supporters, and government officials.
In his brief remarks, Soludo expressed gratitude to the people of Anambra for their renewed confidence and pledged to continue prioritising development, good governance, and stability in the state.
“This victory belongs to Ndi Anambra. We shall redouble our efforts to deliver the dividends of democracy to every community,” he stated.
With the official presentation of certificates, INEC’s confirmation formally concludes the 2025 Anambra governorship election process.
