The elected Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, alongside his deputy, Dr. Onyekachukwu Ibezim, have been officially issued Certificates of Return by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), formally validating their victory in the November 8th, 2025, gubernatorial election. The certificate presentation took place on Tuesday at the INEC headquarters in Akwa, the state capital, marking the commencement of their second term in office.
The certificates were presented by Kenneth Ikeagu, the Supervising INEC National Commissioner for Anambra State. In his remarks, Ikeagu referenced the legal framework guiding the process, stating, “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. Section 72(1) of the Electoral Act 2022 mandates the Independent National Electoral Commission to issue a certificate of return within 14 days to every candidate duly returned by the returning officer. In compliance with this provision, I have the honour to present the certificates to the Governor and Deputy Governor-elect.”
Therefore, Governor Soludo, accompanied by his deputy and their spouses, expressed deep appreciation for the electoral body and the security agencies. He said, “I congratulate INEC and its new chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan. I said it before that you do not get a second chance to create a first impression. We are quite delighted here in Anambra that his first outing was here and it was very loud. I think the whole world celebrated it. I want to use this opportunity to thank INEC and say they deserve better credit than they have been given.”
He added, “There is indeed hope for this country. I always see Nigeria as half full, not half empty. I thank the security agencies; they stood firm and insisted that the will of the people must not be subverted.”
Reflecting on the voter turnout and the election results, Soludo highlighted an unprecedented engagement from the electorate. “We had unprecedented turnout; almost 600,000 people came out. For the very first time in the history of Anambra State, a candidate got 73% of the total votes cast, winning 98% of all the wards and 99% of all the polling units. There are several local governments where we didn’t lose even one polling unit.”
He also commended the President of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu, for his commitment to democratic principles during the election, stating, “I want to once again appreciate the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Bola Tinubu, for his very firm stand that this is a multi-party democracy and that the votes of the people must count.”
Soludo further praised the electoral process, saying, “To INEC, I say it again, you did well, and you have given us confidence in our electoral system once again. I have always said that our electoral process has been getting better and better. Every electoral year, we look back and see that we have done better than the previous one.”
The election, contested by sixteen candidates from different parties, saw Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) securing 422,664 votes, far ahead of his closest competitor, Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who scored 99,445 votes. The Young Progressives Party (YPP) candidate, Paul Chukwuma, finished third with 37,753 votes. Out of the 2,788,864 registered voters, 598,229 were accredited for the election, with a total of 595,298 votes cast and 11,244 votes rejected across the 21 local government areas.Soludo’s victory in all 21 local councils showcased strong votes of confidence in his administration, whose focus since 2023 has been on economic growth, infrastructure development, and social welfare programs. The governor also referenced past electoral experiences, emphasizing sportsmanship and unity among political opponents in Anambra.
The presentation of the certificates symbolizes the official endorsement of the people’s mandate, setting the stage for another term of Governor Soludo and Deputy Governor Ibezim to continue their agenda of progress in Anambra State.
