President Bola Tinubu has congratulated Prof. Chukwuma Soludo on his re-election as the governor of Anambra State, saying the victory is a demonstration of his visionary leadership and the significant progress the state has made under his administration.
In a statement he personally signed and released on Sunday, President Tinubu commended the people of Anambra State, the security agencies and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the peaceful conduct of the governorship election.
Pinnacle Daily had reported that INEC declared Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), winner of the Anambra State governorship election held on Saturday, November 8.
The INEC Returning Officer, Prof. Edoba Omoregie, who made the declaration on Sunday, said Soludo scored a total of 422,664 votes to defeat his closest rival, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nicholas Ukachukwu, who scored 99,445 votes. Candidate of the Young Progressives Party (Ypp), Sir Paul Chukwuma scored 37,753 to take the third position.
In his congratulatory message, Tinubu noted that with the victory in Saturday’s poll, Soludo has emerged as the third governor in the state’s political history to win a second term.
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“Professor Soludo’s re-election is a testament to his visionary leadership and the significant progress the state has made under his guidance,” Tinubu stated.
The president applauded Soludo’s style of governing Anambra State in the past four years, saying the governor has “demonstrated that indeed knowledge is power and that academic principles can be applied in serving the people, undergirding accountability, transparency and prudent management of people and resources.”
The president recalled that he visited Anambra State in May and inaugurated some projects executed by the Soludo administration and highlighted the great thinking behind the projects.
He commended Soludo for bringing what he described as “discipline, grace, brilliance, and a fresh perspective to governance in Anambra,” adding that “under him, Anambra is living up to its motto as the Light of the Nation.”
He urged Governor Soludo to be magnanimous in victory and seek the cooperation of his opponents in the elections.
The president assured Soludo of his unwavering support, adding that he looks forward to continued collaboration between Anambra and the Federal Government.
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He further stated that the victory of APGA, an opposition party, in the election, again demonstrates the vitality of the country’s political system and the fact that victory for any progressive and hardworking leader can hardly be denied.
He hailed the new INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, and his team for conducting what has been described as a credible election by observers, according to news reports.
The Nigerian leader charged the electoral body to maintain the standards and further improve its performance to strengthen the electoral system.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist, scholar and analyst of socioeconomic issues in Nigeria and Africa. He is skilled in energy reporting, business and economy, and holds a master's degree in mass communication.
