Governor Chukwuma Soludo and his deputy, Onyekachukwu Ibezim, have been officially confirmed as the winners of the Anambra State governorship election following the presentation of certificates of return by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The ceremony took place on Tuesday in Awka, with Kenneth Ikeagu, INEC’s Supervising National Commissioner for Anambra, handing over the certificates two days after the election results were announced.
The presentation formally recognises their victory and marks the start of their renewed mandate.
Soludo, representing the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), secured 422,664 votes, defeating APC candidate Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu, who received 99,445 votes, while Young Progressives Party candidate Paul Chukwuma trailed with 37,753 votes.
The election recorded 598,229 accredited voters from 2,788,864 registered voters, with 595,298 votes cast and 11,244 rejected across 21 local government areas.
Speaking at the event, Ikeagu said the issuance of certificates of return is in line with Section 72(1) of the Electoral Act 2022, which requires INEC to formally certify candidates who have been duly returned by the election’s returning officer.
“This presentation officially confirms the Governor and Deputy Governor as the duly elected leaders of Anambra State,” he added.
The APGA ticket won in all local government areas, reflecting a comprehensive mandate. Both Soludo and Ibezim were accompanied to the INEC headquarters by their wives during the official handover.
