Table of Contents
- Election Result
- Labour Party’s Internal Turmoil
- PDP’s Leadership Battles and Defections
- Vote Buying Allegations
- Soludo’s Incumbency and Strategic Advantage
- Expect Similar Results in 2027 – Analyst
On Sunday, the Independent National Electoral Commission announced the results of the November 8 governorship election in Anambra State.
DAILY POST reported that the Returning Officer and Vice Chancellor of the University of Benin, Prof. Edogah Omoregie, made the announcement at the commission’s headquarters in Awka on Sunday.
Soludo ran under the banner of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and garnered 422,664 votes to win the election.
His nearest competitor, Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), received 99,445 votes, placing second.
According to INEC, the Young Progressives Party (YPP) candidate, Paul Chukwuma, obtained 37,753 votes.
George Moghalu, the Labour Party candidate, secured 10,576 votes, while John Nwosu, representing the coalition-supported African Democratic Congress (ADC), achieved 8,208 votes.
DAILY POST notes that when INEC declared Soludo the winner of the Anambra State governorship election, it surprised few observers.
This victory highlighted not only Soludo’s political strength but also the disarray within the opposition.
Behind the numbers lies a familiar narrative in Nigerian politics: one of fragmented parties and internal rivalries that proved detrimental at the polls.
Labour Party’s Internal Turmoil
The Labour Party, previously energized by the momentum of the 2023 general elections, entered the Anambra governorship race significantly divided. Competing factions loyal to different national chairpersons produced parallel candidates, each asserting their legitimacy. The pro-Abure faction supported a relatively unknown aspirant, while another faction rallied behind a former federal legislator.
The confusion regarding the authentic candidate led to voter apathy within the party’s base. By the time the courts intervened, valuable campaign time had been lost, and resources were consumed in legal disputes rather than mobilization efforts.
In several local governments, Labour Party supporters admitted uncertainty over who genuinely represented the party.
“We were prepared to vote Labour, but no one even came here to campaign,” said a resident of Nnewi South.
“They were preoccupied with their internal conflicts while Soludo was focused on his work,” he added.
PDP’s Leadership Battles and Defections
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has continued to face setbacks following the prolonged leadership crisis that has plagued the party since the aftermath of the 2023 general election.
The once-powerful umbrella organization is now fraying under the burden of defections, ongoing crises, and a loss of public trust.
DAILY POST recalls that the PDP was in a quandary over aspirants' failure to purchase the party’s nomination forms ahead of the Anambra election.
The PDP initially scheduled the sale of forms from February 24 to March 5, with a submission deadline of March 7.
This situation arose after numerous aspirants withdrew their intentions to buy forms due to the leadership crisis affecting the party, particularly at the national level.
Ultimately, the party selected an Abuja-based real estate developer, Chief Jude Ezenwafor, as its candidate for the state governorship election.
Ezenwafor, who was the sole aspirant in the PDP race, received unanimous endorsement from 853 delegates across the 21 local government chapters of the party in the state.
He was the only candidate to purchase the party’s N40 million nomination form.
Vote Buying Allegations
There were also reports and allegations of widespread vote buying.
Several party leaders and candidates claimed vote buying occurred in polling units throughout the state, despite repeated warnings from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and law enforcement agencies.
It was alleged that some party agents were offering between N20,000 and N30,000 to voters in exchange for their support.
Voters in Awka South alleged that APGA provided N5,000 while APC offered as much as N10,000 to influence votes.
Speaking on Channels TV’s Sunday Politics, Labour Party candidate George Moghalu attributed his defeat in his polling unit to vote buying by some of his competitors.
Moghalu specifically accused the ruling party in Anambra, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), of being the primary offender behind the alleged vote buying.
He claimed that numerous party agents, some of whom had been arrested for vote buying, were seen wearing APGA party insignia.
Moghalu stated that he could not afford to match the financial incentives offered by other candidates, which led him to refrain from engaging in vote buying.
He added that many voters in his polling unit succumbed to the temptation of money due to their financial hardships.
“Yes, because I couldn’t afford the amounts being offered. I didn’t pay, and I refused to get involved,” Moghalu said when asked if his defeat in the polling unit was related to vote buying.
“So, they had too much money to purchase votes, and what do you expect my people to do? They succumbed because many of them are struggling financially.
“Some individuals are on record as having been seen buying votes. There’s even a commissioner who was caught on camera buying votes in my particular constituency,” Moghalu alleged.
Soludo’s Incumbency and Strategic Advantage
While the opposition faltered, Soludo capitalized on his incumbency and record in office.
His campaign highlighted visible infrastructure projects, educational reforms, and economic initiatives.
The governor also leveraged APGA’s grassroots network, especially in rural areas where the party has established structures.
On election day, APGA agents dominated polling units across the state, while the Labour Party and PDP struggled to maintain a presence.
The outcome was predictable—APGA swept all 21 local governments within hours of result collation, leaving little room for
