Governor Chukwuma Soludo and his deputy, Onyekachukwu Ibezim, have officially received their Certificates of Return from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), confirming their victory in the November 8, 2025, Anambra State gubernatorial election.
The presentation of the certificates, which took place on Tuesday in Akwa, formally validates Soludo and Ibezim’s mandate to continue leading the state for another term.
The ceremony was conducted by Kenneth Ikeagu, the Supervising INEC National Commissioner for Anambra State.
Speaking during the event, Ikeagu said, “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.”
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Soludo, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) candidate, secured a decisive win in the election, polling 422,664 votes. His closest rival, Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), received 99,445 votes, while Paul Chukwuma of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) finished third with 37,753 votes.
Sixteen candidates from as many parties contested the election.
Of the state’s 2,788,864 registered voters, 598,229 were accredited for the poll. A total of 595,298 votes were cast, with 11,244 rejected across the 21 local government areas.
Soludo won in all 21 local councils, reflecting widespread support for his administration, which has focused on economic growth, infrastructure development, and social programs since 2023.
Governor Soludo and Deputy Governor Ibezim were accompanied to the INEC headquarters by their wives for the certificate presentation, marking the official start of their second term in office.
