Six things that shaped the 2025 Anambra election and Soludo’s second rise to power
Charles Chukwuma Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has won re-election as governor of Anambra State. The election took place on Saturday, November 8, 2025. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced the results the next day in Awka, the state capital.
According to INEC, Soludo received 422,664 votes. His main rival, Nicholas Ukachukwu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), got 99,445 votes. Paul Chukwuma of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) came third with 37,753 votes. George Moghalu of the Labour Party got 10,576 votes, while Jude Ezenwafor of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) got 1,401 votes.
There were 16 candidates in total. Voting took place in more than 5,700 polling units across the state’s 21 local government areas.
INEC records show that 2,802,790 people were registered to vote in the state. Of this number, 1,430,323 (51%) were women and 1,372,467 (49%) were men.
Although more women were registered, only two women ran for governor, and six were running mates. Women made up 13% of all candidates.
Below are six things that shaped Soludo’s second rise to power.
1. A Divided and Weak Opposition
The opposition in Anambra was not united. Although 16 candidates were on the ballot, only Soludo and Ukachukwu had strong campaigns. Other candidates did not have enough reach or funding.
Ukachukwu and the APC could not challenge APGA’s dominance. The APC’s internal divisions and weak local networks reduced its strength.
The Labour Party and PDP, which performed better in the 2023 general elections, could not repeat that success this time. Labour Party candidate George Moghalu got fewer than 11,000 votes, showing the party’s limited presence in the state.
Analysts said many voters believed the contest was already decided before election day. This perception may have discouraged opposition supporters from turning out to vote.
Osita Obi, the Convener of the Recover Nigeria Project, echoed this view, declaring that Governor Chukwuma Soludo was certain to win Saturday’s governorship election in Anambra State.
Obi argued that opposition candidates would have been better off donating their campaign funds to the Anambra Security Trust Fund instead of spending resources on a race they could not win.
He made the remarks in an interview with Vanguard while assessing the factors that could influence the election outcome.
Obi praised Soludo’s administration for its achievements, particularly in restoring order in the state capital, increasing government revenue, and eliminating the influence of touts who previously controlled large portions of public income.
“Honestly, there is nothing that will work against him. He has done marvellously well, fantastically well. Awka now has the resemblance of a state capital,” Obi said.
2. Vote Buying and Allegations of Electoral Manipulation
Vote buying was as a major issue in the Anambra governorship election. Many candidates and observers claimed that money and gifts were used to influence voters at polling units across the state.
John Nwosu of the ADC rejected the election results, describing the process as a “ruse and total subversion of the people’s will.”
He alleged that voters were openly offered cash ranging from 3,000 to 20,000 naira at nearly every polling unit. He said such actions turned the election into a commercial transaction rather than a democratic process. According to him, the development amounted to a national embarrassment and undermined the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral system.
Nicholas Ukachukwu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) also complained about vote buying, but he pointed out that it was mostly directed against his supporters. He said some of his agents were abducted, and money meant to pay them was mischaracterized as funds for vote buying. He emphasised that his 99,445 votes came from genuine supporters who wanted Anambra to move forward.
Even Charles Soludo, though victorious, faced allegations from opposition candidates that APGA engaged in vote buying in some areas. Supporters of Soludo, however, argued that the claims were exaggerated and politically motivated, meant to undermine the legitimacy of his victory.
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), arrested three individuals for alleged vote buying during Saturday’s Anambra State governorship election.
In a statement posted on its official X account, the EFCC identified the suspects as Emeka Ilokasia, arrested at Ward 2, Njikoka Local Government; Nwachukwu Loretta, arrested at Ward 2 (008), Awkuzu, Oyi Local Government; and Emuka Chuwudi, apprehended at Umunachi village, Dunukofia Local Government.
3. Poor Women’s Participation and Representation
Of the 16 gubernatorial candidates, only two were women – Chioma Ifemeludike of the African Action Congress (AAC) and Ndidi Olieh of the National Rescue Movement (NRM), neither of whom is considered a strong contender.
This represents just 12.5% of all the candidates. Meanwhile, six out of 16 parties (37.5%) nominated women as their running mates.
The female running mates include Uche Ekwunife (All Progressive Congress), Veronica Okaro (Labour Party), and Blessing Okeke (Action Peoples Party). Others are Ugboma Happiness (Boot Party), Chibuzor Obi (Zenith Labour Party), and Ezeadili Appolonia (Accord Party).
Women made up over 51% of registered voters in Anambra. Yet, this numerical strength has not translated into political representation. In the Anambra State House of Assembly, only two of the 30 members are women.
In the last governorship election in 2021, not much difference was documented. The electoral umpire recorded just two female candidates out of 18 contestants.
4. The Power of Incumbency
Soludo’s victory shows how much advantage an incumbent governor can have in Nigerian elections. Many voters saw him as a strong leader who had already started projects and wanted to continue them.
During his first term, Soludo started programmes like free antenatal care for pregnant women, free education in public schools, and youth training for small businesses. His government also worked on roads and public infrastructure.
One of his initiatives was the launch of the Agunechemba Vigilante in January 2025. This security outfit assisted security agencies in the fight against violent crimes and separatist-linked attacks that had plagued the state. Though controversial at inception, the move helped restore a sense of calm in previously volatile areas such as Ihiala, Nnewi South, and parts of Aguata.
Soludo’s popularity and the APGA structure helped him win in all 21 local government areas. The large gap between his votes and Ukachukwu’s showed that most people still trusted his leadership.
5. APGA’s Dominance in Anambra
The 2025 governorship election reaffirmed the strong position of APGA in Anambra State. Since the party’s emergence in 2006, it has remained the dominant political force, winning most elections at both state and local government levels.
Charles Soludo’s re-election shows how deeply APGA is rooted in the state. The party won in all 21 local government areas, capturing 98 percent of the 326 electoral wards.
APGA’s dominance is built on a combination of factors. The party has strong grassroots networks that mobilise voters in towns, villages, and markets. Its women’s wing, youth groups, and local community leaders are active in campaigning and encouraging citizens to vote.
The party also benefits from a clear identity. Many voters see APGA as the party that represents Igbo interests in Anambra. This identity gives it an advantage over national parties like the APC and PDP, which often struggle to build local loyalty.
Soludo’s campaign also benefited from the “Solution Marshals”, a newly created corps of community-based voter coordinators tasked with neighbourhood mobilisation and real-time polling coordination. The initiative, which combined technology with face-to-face persuasion, enhanced turnout in APGA strongholds and blunted the opposition’s gains in urban areas like Onitsha and Awka.
Observers note that APGA’s cooperative relationship with the federal government helped smooth governance and allowed Soludo to deliver projects, further cementing voter trust.
6. Relative Security
While Anambra is among the states in the South-east worst hit by insecurity, the election was relatively peaceful, though there were skirmishes of violence.
Armed persons said to be agitating for an independent state of Biafra have been terrorising residents of the South-eastern state.
The hoodlums have been carrying out frequent attacks in Anambra, killing and abducting people, especially government officials and security operatives.
At least two state lawmakers have been abducted and killed in Anambra in the last three years.
The Nigeria Police Force, however, conducted aerial surveillance in Anambra State during the election.
Despite security measures, a councillor representing Owerre Ezukala community, Orumba South Local Government Area, Anambra State, was shot and killed by unknown gunmen during the governorship election. The tragic incident happened at Owerre Ezukala Ward 1 around 1:30 pm on Saturday.
Governor Soludo on Sunday confirmed the killing. Speaking shortly after being declared the winner of the poll, Soludo paid tribute to the councillor, identifying him as a member APGA. He, however, commended security agencies for thwarting plans to disrupt the governorship election.
