The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has formally presented certificates of return to Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, and his deputy, Onyekachukwu Ibezim, confirming their re-election for another four-year term.
The ceremony took place on Tuesday at INEC’s state headquarters in Awka, attended by party officials, supporters, and journalists.
The certificates were handed over by the Supervising INEC National Commissioner for the Anambra governorship poll, Kenneth Ikeagu, two days after the official declaration of results.
Ikeagu said the presentation was in line with Section 72(1) of the Electoral Act 2022, which mandates the Commission to issue a certificate of return within 14 days to every candidate duly declared a winner by the returning officer.
“We are here to present the certificates of return to the Governor and Deputy Governor of Anambra State, following their successful outing during the state governorship election held on Saturday, November 8, 2025,” Ikeagu said.
He commended the peaceful conduct of voters across Anambra and called on the winners to use their renewed mandate to advance democratic governance in the state.
Soludo Sweeps All 21 LGAs Amid Low Turnout
Governor Soludo, who ran on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), recorded a decisive victory in all 21 local government areas of the state.
According to the Returning Officer, Professor Edoba Omoregie of the University of Benin, Soludo polled 422,664 votes, defeating his closest rival, Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who secured 99,445 votes.
The Young Progressives Party (YPP) candidate, Paul Chukwuma, came third with 37,753 votes, while 16 political parties participated.
Soludo’s performance consolidates APGA’s stronghold in the state since 2006, when Peter Obi first broke the PDP’s dominance.
The low voter turnout, however, continues to worry observers and electoral reform advocates, who have urged INEC to intensify voter engagement and deploy more transparent results transmission systems in future polls.
INEC officials in Awka described the election as one of the most transparent in the state’s recent history, though some opposition candidates have hinted at possible post-election petitions.
A Heated Speech and Political Shadows
During his acceptance speech, Soludo did not pull punches at his predecessor, Peter Obi, accusing him of working against his re-election.
In a festy tone, he said Obi had “learned a political lesson he won’t forget in his life.” He mocked his former ally, claiming that despite allowing Obi to win his polling unit “out of respect,” the APC still defeated him in the area.
The governor added, “You think because Ojukwu raised your hand and you became governor, you can also install a governor by raising hands too? Peter should calm down; politics is not madness.”
He described Obi as “a confused, injured player with no Club“, a dig at Obi who days earlier remarked that he was not directly on the state ballot, and in the equivalent of football parlance, he had graduated from “division 1 and now playing at the Champions League level” of politics.
Soludo’s words show a worrisomely deepening rift between the two political heavyweights in the state, whose rivalry could harm the state’s and their region’s geopolitical strategies at the national level.
Supporters of Obi’s Labour Party have already reacted sharply on social media, describing Soludo’s comments as “disrespectful and unbecoming of a sitting governor.”
Some political commentators postulate he is going after Obi’s political image to keep to a bargain to the federal ruling party, whom Soludo had praised for giving him a level playing field to win the election.
Damaging Obi politically at his home base could weaken his chances to present a formidable force of opposition against President Bola Tinubu, whom Obi is expected to challenge again in 2027.
Meanwhile, INEC reiterated its commitment to electoral transparency, urging winners to be magnanimous in victory and see their election as “a call to service and humility.”
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