The Anambra Governorship Election, which took place on Saturday, November 8, 2025, was successfully conducted with minimal incidents. As widely expected, the incumbent, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, the flag bearer of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, coasted home with a landslide victory, as announced by the Returning Officer, Professor Edoba Omoregie.

Soludo, a former successful Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, polled 422,664, while his closest rival, Chief Nicholas Ukachukwu of the All Progressives Congress, APC, secured 99,445 votes. Sir Paul Chukwuma of the Young Progressives Party, YPP, won 37,753 votes, while the Labour Party’s, LP’s, Chief George Muoghalu, polled 10,576 votes.

Interestingly, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, which used to dominate Anambra politics, has become insignificant. Its candidate, Jude Ezenwafor, won 1,401 votes out of the 595,298 valid votes.

The INEC under Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN) was almost flawless in this first outing that was widely described as a litmus test for him. INEC officials arrived on time to most polling units, and the technological devices for voter identification, accreditation and result transmission worked effectively to ensure that results were announced within hours of the close of the election. The security arrangement also went well.

However, the exercise was marred by several reported incidences of vote-buying, and several arrests were made. Some opposition candidates are already mulling the possibility of proceeding to the Election Petition Tribunal.

This election lived up to the expectations of the generality of the people of Anambra State and Nigerians who watched keenly to see how Amupitan would take his first step forward. The law enforcement agencies deserve commendation for a good job in a state often associated with insecurity. The outcome was far better than the campaigns, which witnessed bitter personal exchanges between Soludo and Senator Uche Ekwunife, the Deputy Governorship candidate of APC.

The exercise was a referendum on Soludo’s first term. In addition to an above average performance, Soludo was tireless with his campaigns. He never took any issue or stakeholder for granted. He now has the opportunity to continue his mission of creating an enabling environment for Anambra indigenes and people from all over the world to feel at home in the state in terms of investment, business and pleasure.

We, however, urge him to work harder on the state’s security issues. He needs to rein-in the Agunechemba vigilante corps on rules of engagement to minimise the frequent misconducts of its personnel. More efforts should be made to fix the erosion and flooding menace across the state.

Having obtained his second term, we urge Governor Soludo not to be distracted by the 2027 general elections. All politicians should imbibe the virtue of politics without bitterness and avoid utterances that can threaten the peace.

The Dubai-Taiwan-China agenda must succeed.