Anambra Decides: 16 candidates battle for governorship as Soludo seeks second term
Voters in Anambra State are heading to the polls today to choose a new governor from a field of 16 candidates as the state decides who will lead for the next four years.
According to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), 2,802,790 people are registered to vote across 5,720 polling units in the state’s 21 local government areas.
The figure represents a slight increase from the 2.65 million registered for the 2023 general elections.
Among the candidates, four are regarded as frontrunners: Governor Charles Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Nicholas Ukachukwu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), George Moghalu of the Labour Party (LP), and John Chuma-Nwosu of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
However, analysts and observers say the contest is likely to be a two-way race between Soludo and Ukachukwu.
Soludo, a former Central Bank governor, is seeking a second and final term in office. He was elected on 6 November 2021 and sworn in on 17 March 2022. His first tenure is set to end in March 2026.
For some political watchers, today’s poll serves as a test of Soludo’s popularity and record in office. Osita Obi, convener of the Recover Nigeria Project, believes the governor’s performance gives him a clear advantage.
“Honestly, there is nothing that will work against him. He has done marvelously well, fantastically well. Awka now has the resemblance of a state capital,” Obi told Vanguard in an interview assessing factors that could influence the election.
He said opposition candidates should have channelled their campaign resources to the Anambra Security Trust Fund instead of “wasting” funds on a contest they “cannot win.”
Obi praised Soludo’s administration for improving internally generated revenue and tackling the influence of touts who previously dominated tax collection in the state.
“This is the first time in Anambra State that touts have not collected revenue. Previously, 70 percent of revenue collected in Anambra State went to the private sector. But when this man came, he said no — you must pay government directly. That is what is obtainable today,” he said.
The election has drawn national attention as a key test of Nigeria’s electoral process and voter confidence in the system.
