Incumbent Governor Charles Soludo delivered a resounding statement in his own backyard Sunday, clinching Aguata Local Government Area with a staggering 17,097 votes as Anambra’s governorship election results streamed in from the southeastern powerhouse.
The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) standard-bearer dwarfed his closest challenger, Labour Party’s George Moghalu, who managed just 1,391 ballots across the area’s 14 wards, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) collation officer, Dr. Nkechi Udeze, who announced the tally at the local headquarters around 2:00 am.
“APGA: 17,097; Labour Party: 1,391; PDP: 1,138; APC: 1,040,” Udeze declared, confirming zero rejected ballots and a total of 20,666 accredited voters. “I hereby certify these results as true and accurate.”
Soludo’s margin — more than 15,700 votes ahead — turned his home turf into a fortress, echoing his 2021 sweep of the same LGA. The former central banker, who had voted in Isuofia earlier, hailed the outcome as “the people’s mandate renewed.” Speaking via phone after the declaration, he said: “Aguata has spoken with one voice. This is not just a victory for APGA; it is a vote of confidence in continuity and progress.”
The landslide came despite isolated violence elsewhere, including the fatal shooting of a councillor in Orumba South. In Aguata, voting proceeded smoothly, with INEC uploading 100 percent of unit results from the LGA to the IReV portal by midnight.
APC candidate Nicholas Ukachukwu, who earlier celebrated a personal polling unit win, trailed with 1,040 votes. PDP’s Valentine Ozigbo secured 1,138. Statewide collation continues under tight security, with final figures expected by midday Sunday.
