INEC declares Soludo winner of Anambra governorship election

Charles Soludo

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) Prof Charles Soludo as the winner of Anambra governorship election.

The returning officer of the election Prof Florence Obi announced the result on Wednesday morning at the INEC office in Awka, Anambra State.

“That Charles Chukwuma Soludo of APGA, having satisfied the requirements of the law is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected,” the vice-chancellor of the University of Calabar said.

Soludo, a former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), won 19 of the 21 local government areas.

The election originally held on November 6 was stretched to Tuesday to allow a supplementary poll in Ihiala local government.

Soludo, 61, won with 112,229 votes, defeating Valentine Ozigbo of the Peoples Democratic Party who polled 53,807 votes; and Andy Uba of the All Progressives Congress who got 43,285 votes. Ifeanyi Ubah of the Young Progressive Party polled 21,261 votes in fourth position.

Eighteen candidates contested for the election altogether.

Soludo will be sworn into office next March after the expiration of the two-term tenure of the incumbent governor, Willie Obiano, a member of APGA.