Anambra Election: The Numbers And Analysis

As Anambra residents headed to the polls on Saturday, November 8, 2025, the state concluded one of its most closely watched governorship elections in recent years.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had earlier affirmed full preparedness for the exercise, outlining its operational plans and assuring stakeholders of a credible, transparent process.

During the pre-election stakeholders’ meeting in Awka, INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan confirmed that 5,718 polling units were fully equipped for voting. He announced the deployment of about 24,000 ad hoc staff and the accreditation of 540 journalists, emphasising the commission’s commitment to running a free, fair, and inclusive election.

A total of 16 candidates, representing 16 political parties, contested the election each aiming to unseat the incumbent governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, who sought re-election under the banner of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

INEC Confirms Soludo As Winner Of Governorship Election

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Governor Chukwuma Soludo the winner of the November 8 Anambra State governorship election.

The announcement was made on Sunday in Awka by the Returning Officer and Vice Chancellor of the University of Benin, Prof. Edogah Omoregie.

Soludo, running under the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), secured 422,664 votes, giving him a decisive victory. His closest opponent, Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), finished a distant second with 99,445 votes.

Other results show that Paul Chukwuma of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) garnered 37,753 votes, while the Labour Party candidate George Moghalu received 10,576 votes. John Nwosu, candidate of the coalition-backed African Democratic Congress (ADC), scored 8,208 votes.

Soludo’s victory secures him another term as governor and reaffirms APGA’s stronghold in Anambra politics.

Opposition Parties Condemns Vote-Buying In Anambra Election

Opposition parties on Sunday criticised the conduct of the 2025 Anambra governorship election, warning that the scale of vote-buying and the alleged complacency of key institutions pose a dangerous threat to the credibility of the 2027 general elections.

Governor Chukwuma Soludo re-election was followed by President Bola Tinubu’s congratulatory message, describing the outcome as “an affirmation of visionary leadership” and pledging stronger collaboration between the Federal Government and Anambra State.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) rejected the election results, accusing the process of being heavily compromised by mass vote-buying. In a statement, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, lamented that the poll had been reduced to “a cash-drenched spectacle”, adding that “this election was highly monetised.” Abdullahi alleged that bundles of naira exchanged hands openly at polling units, with security operatives and election officials failing to act.

ADC candidate John Nwosu also dismissed the results, describing the exercise as a “national embarrassment.” He claimed voters were induced with between N3,000 and N20,000, insisting that such practices stripped the election of legitimacy.

“An election riddled with corruption and vote trading cannot represent the voice of the people,” he said.

Labour Party candidate Dr. George Moghalu echoed these concerns, citing “widespread vote-buying,” alleged underage voting, and technical issues on the ballot. He said the process fell far below expectations and would make a more detailed statement after reviewing full reports from his agents across the state.

UN Observer Commends Anambra Election Despite Opposition Claims

A United Nations election observer, Jim Oko, offered a contrasting assessment of the Anambra governorship poll, awarding it “very highly” and describing the conduct as “in line with international best practices.”

Oko, who serves as the national coordinator of Nouvel Perspective Int., a UN-accredited election observation group, said,

“With the fact that most of us have monitored a lot of elections all over the world, especially the US election that was a very high level one, we can conveniently state that everything was how it should be peacefully done, peacefully collated, peacefully announced and peacefully accepted. So, we are very glad over this.”