Incumbent Governor Charles Soludo seized a symbolic win Saturday in the home polling unit of his Labour Party challenger George Moghalu, underscoring the All Progressives Grand Alliance’s (APGA) grip on key southeastern turf as Anambra’s governorship race hurtled toward a Sunday declaration.
The upset unfolded at Uruagu Ward 1 in Nnewi North local government area, where Moghalu — a prominent figure in Peter Obi’s Labour Party — had cast his ballot earlier amid high hopes for an opposition surge. Presiding officer Okonkwo Ebere announced the results around 2:50 pm, after voting wrapped in the unit boasting 463 registered voters.
Soludo romped to victory with 57 votes, trouncing Moghalu’s 22 and All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate Nicholas Ukachukwu’s five, for a total of 85 valid ballots — a turnout dipping below 20 percent in the rain-lashed locale.
The result, one of the first ward-level disclosures in the 18-candidate fray, amplified pre-poll prophecies from spiritual leader Primate Elijah Ayodele of Lagos-based INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church. Ayodele had forecast Soludo’s re-election, touting the governor’s strides in roads, schools and commerce as unbeatable. “There was no reason for APGA to lose sleep over the polls,” Ayodele declared last month. He urged rivals to bow out gracefully, insisting: “Soludo’s performance had made Anambra state better.”
Moghalu, a former police service commission boss and Obi’s 2023 running mate ally, had positioned his campaign on anti-corruption and youth empowerment, but the local drubbing signals APGA’s enduring loyalty in Igbo heartlands. Soludo, an ex-central bank chief credited with fiscal reforms, seeks a second term on promises of sustained growth in Africa’s commercial nexus.
As Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) uploads neared 40 percent on its IReV portal by late afternoon, observers noted peaceful vibes statewide despite vote-buying whispers. Collation at local government hubs presses on, with full statewide figures due Sunday under new INEC chair Joash Amupitan’s watch.
