President Bola Tinubu has commended Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, and the Independent National Electoral Commission for the successful and peaceful conduct of the Anambra State governorship election.
In a press statement from the Statehouse, President Tinubu congratulated Professor Soludo on his re-election, describing the overwhelming victory as an affirmation of his “visionary leadership.”
The president’s statement follows the official declaration by INEC’s Returning Officer, Professor Edoba Omoregie, on Sunday, which confirmed Soludo, the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, as the winner of the Saturday poll. The governor secured a landslide victory, polling 422,664 votes to defeat his closest rival, Nicholas Ukachukwu of the All Progressives Congress, who garnered 99,445 votes.
“I congratulate Professor Chukwuma Soludo on his re-election as the governor of Anambra State,” President Tinubu said. “The overwhelming victory he recorded in Saturday’s poll has now made him the third governor in the state’s political history to win a second term.”
The president also extended his congratulations to the people of Anambra State and the security agencies for their roles in the electoral process. He reserved specific praise for the electoral body, noting, “I must also thank the new INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, and his team for conducting what observers have described as a credible election, based on the reports I have received thus far.” He further charged the commission “with maintaining the standards and further improving its performance, so we can continue to strengthen and deepen our electoral system.”
Reflecting on the governor’s performance in his first term, President Tinubu highlighted Soludo’s distinctive approach to governance. “Governor Soludo, the Solution, has demonstrated that indeed knowledge is power and that academic principles can be applied in serving the people, undergirding accountability, transparency and prudent management of people and resources,” the president stated. He recalled his official visit to the state in May, saying, “I inaugurated some projects executed by the Soludo administration. I highlighted the good thinking behind the landmark projects being embarked upon by Mr Solution. That experience is indeed remarkable and will remain indelible in my mind.”
The president expressed confidence that Anambra was on the right path, noting, “I commend Governor Soludo for bringing discipline, grace, brilliance, and a fresh perspective to governance in Anambra. Under him, Anambra is living up to its motto as the Light of the Nation.”
In a call for post-election unity, President Tinubu urged the re-elected governor to be magnanimous in victory. “I urge Governor Soludo to be magnanimous in victory and to seek the cooperation of his opponents in the just-concluded elections,” he said, while assuring him of “my unwavering support,” and looking “forward to continued collaboration between Anambra and the Federal Government.”
The election, which saw participation from 16 candidates, was declared peaceful by the returning officer. With 2,788,864 registered voters in the state, a total of 598,229 voters were accredited, and 595,298 votes were cast. The results showed Soludo winning convincingly across all 21 local government areas of the state. President Tinubu concluded that the victory of APGA, an opposition party, “demonstrates the vitality of our political system and the fact that victory for any progressive and hardworking leader can hardly be encumbered or denied.”
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