Soludo takes major lead as INEC uploads 99% of Anambra guber results

The candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the Anambra State governorship election, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, has taken an early lead as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) continues uploading results from Saturday’s poll.

As of press time, the electoral body had uploaded more than 99 per cent of results on its Results Viewing Portal (IReV), despite widespread reports of vote-buying and other electoral irregularities.

Although election materials arrived promptly in most polling units, voter turnout remained generally low across the state, even though more residents had collected their Permanent Voter Cards before the election.

Preliminary tallies indicated that Soludo was ahead of his opponents in stronghold areas such as Aguata Local Government Area in Anambra South Senatorial District and parts of Anambra Central.

Anambra State has 21 LGAs spread across three senatorial districts—North, Central, and South. According to INEC, 2,802,790 voters were registered to participate, including 140,370 newly registered voters across 326 wards. Voting took place in 5,718 polling units, as two units had no registered voters. Sixteen political parties fielded candidates, including two women.

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Soludo won his polling unit—Umuezeadigo Street, Unit 002 in Isuofia, Aguata LGA—where he polled 417 votes. His closest rival, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Nicholas Ukachukwu, received four votes.

Ukachukwu also secured victory in his own polling unit, located at Polling Unit 12, Ward 2, Umudiala village, Osumenyi, Nnewi South LGA. He garnered 108 votes, while APGA scored four in booth 1. In booth 2, APC had 126 votes to APGA’s six.

The Labour Party (LP) candidate, Dr George Moghalu, however, lost in his polling unit, polling 22 votes to place second behind Soludo, who had 57 votes.

By 10 p.m. on Saturday, INEC had uploaded 99.14 per cent of the results. A review of figures from multiple LGAs showed APGA leading in most polling units, while the APC trailed behind.

In Ekwusigo LGA, APGA and APC dominated results in 17 polling units across three wards. At Obi Nza Square Polling Unit, APGA polled 212 votes against APC’s 13. At Ezeokpo Central School I, the margin was 169 to 12, while at Nza Central School II, APGA scored 231 to APC’s 18. Overall, APGA led with 1,548 votes, compared to APC’s 599.

Similar trends were recorded in Njikoka, Aguata, Ogbaru, Onitsha North, and Onitsha South LGAs, where APGA consistently outperformed APC in most units. In Anaocha LGA, Governor Soludo led with 2,419 votes, while Ukachukwu polled 724 from three wards uploaded at the time of reporting.

Overall, early tallies suggest a two-horse race between APGA and APC, with Soludo maintaining a comfortable lead.

Meanwhile, former Anambra governor and Labour Party stalwart, Mr Peter Obi, condemned the prevalence of vote-buying during the exercise.“Vote-buying is on the scale of N20,000 to N30,000. The victims of bad governance are the ones fuelling it,” he said after voting in Agulu. “If a young man sells his vote for N30,000, what is his future? You are selling no school, no hospital, no job—selling your future.”

Governor Soludo also alleged vote-buying in Nnewi South but expressed confidence in winning all 21 LGAs.“Reports from across the state indicate that the election has been peaceful and smooth. We have no doubt we are going to win by a landslide,” he said. “It doesn’t matter for us. We are confident that with one man, one vote, we will win landslide.”

YPP candidate Paul Chukwuma accused local government chairmen of using thugs to intimidate voters, while APC’s Ukachukwu described the trend of vote-buying as a “dangerous norm” that undermines democracy.“Vote-buying robs citizens of their right to choose credible leaders,” he said, though expressing faith that “winning is still possible.”

Labour Party’s Moghalu decried the monetisation of politics, saying, “You can’t say it’s free and fair if you monetise the process. INEC must restore public confidence because voter apathy shows loss of trust in the system.”