- Safiu Kehinde
As curtain falls on the four years tenure of Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, voters are again set to go to poll to decide who runs the state affairs for the next four years.
The 2025 Anambra Governorship election is billed to hold on Saturday, the 8th of November, 2025.
Ahead of the poll, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had in September concluded the registration of new voters which have been added to the list of registered voters.
INEC carried out voters registration in the 326 Wards across the State from 8th to 20th July 2025.
During that period, 168,187 citizens registered as new voters.
However, over 20,000 double registrations by some of the new voters were detected and declared invalid.
This brought the number of new voters to 146,353.
In addition to the 2,656,437 previously registered voters, the new registrants, have seen the total number of registered voters skyrocketed to 2,802,790 ahead of the Saturday voting exercise which will be conducted across 5,718 polling units.
The results will be collated at 326 wards, 21 local government areas, and the State Collation Centre in Awka.
Meanwhile, the ruling party, All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), will have its age-long dominance of Anambra politics tested once again as Soludo’s re-election bid faces challenge from 15 other opposition parties’ candidates.
APGA’s opposition parties’ candidates and their chances of winning, as profiled by NPO Reports, include;
Ukachukwu Nicholas- All Progressives Congress (APC)
Ukachukwu Nicholas, an Anambra businessman turned politician, had on the 6th of April emerged winner of the APC’s primary election.
He defeated his main contender, Valentine Ozigbo, by a significant margin of 1,455 votes as against Ozigbo’s 67 votes.
This saw the 58-year-old businessman from Osumenyi in Nnewi South LGA emerging the flag bearer of the APC.
However, Ukachukwu’s chance of defeating Soludo appeared slim on account of the governor’s relationship with President Bola Tinubu.
Soludo had over the years established a cordial relationship with Tinubu and had overtime drummed support for the President’s policies.
On the 12th of August, the Anambra governor visited Tinubu for private talks at Aso Rock.
Prior to the visit, the President had also in May travelled to Anambra where he inaugurated some projects done by the Soludo administration.
Tinubu was, during the visit, conferred a chieftaincy title with Soludo publicly endorsing the President’s re-election bid.
Having poured water ahead, Soludo, in Yoruba parlance, now anticipate to walk on a cold and soft land without fear of opposition from the President’s party.
His endorsement of the President had even sparked controversies of Tinubu also supporting him for the Anambra election.
These factors are billed to play crucial role in the chances of Ukachukwu’s chances of winning.
Ezenwafor Jude Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
Though he had emerged unopposed as PDP’s candidate, Ezenwafor appeared to have thread a similar dangerous path as Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo.
Like the APC governor, the Abuja-based real estate developer escaped assassination attempt in July.
Ezenwafor’s vehicle was reportedly attacked and shot by unknown assailants while returning from an appointment.
He rushed to a hospital where a surgery was conducted to remove bullets from his body.
Two other people who were with him at the time also suffered injuries and were treated.
Coupled with the ongoing leadership crisis in the PDP, especially in the Southeast, the incident left Ezenwafor’s campaign shrouded with uncertainties ahead of the Saturday poll.
George Moghalu (Labour Party)
A former managing director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), George Moghalu, in April secured the Labour Party’s ticket for the Anambra election.
Moghalu emerged winner of the primaries with a total of 575 delegates’ vote.
The ex-NIWA boss had since established himself as a major opponent for Soludo, considering the pedigree of Labour Party which had former governor of the state, Peter Obi, as its candidate during the 2023 Presidential election.
Recall that Obi’s defection to the Labour Party had led to the creation of the Obidient movement.
With Moghalu’s candidacy already endorsed by Obi, Soludo might have to settle scores at the poll with Obidient voters who are renowned for dancing to the tune of whoever their principal endorses.
However, Soludo is still likely to capitalize on the divide within the Labour Party as well as the Obidient movement to get a spoiler from Moghalu.
The Anambra governor’s campaign had attracted the endorsement of a self-proclaimed leader of the Obidient movement in the state, Ikenne Azomchine.
Coupled with his appearance on stage with Soludo, Azomchine and some other members of the movement had endorsed the former Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) Governor for second term, citing integrity and performance.
Azomchine, who is also known as Obidient General, disclosed the support of the group to Prof Soludo, during a press conference in Awka last month.
Ifemeludike Chioma (African Action Congress)
From the scenes of Nollywood to the streets of Anambra, Ifemeludike had in recent weeks poised as a voice to reckon with at the Saturday poll.
The Nollywood actress and activist, who is contesting under the AAC, a party owned by Nigerian human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, had during the campaign drawn attention to herself with her activism and series of protests in the state.
Ifemeludike would however spark mixed reactions last week while declaring the commencement of her campaign ahead of the election.
The actress had made the announcement in a post on her X handle.
Her choice of dress in the pictures attached to the post had however ever seen her trolled and sexualized by netizens.
Ifemeludike had put on a black gown firmly knitted around her body, displaying her curves.
While Sowore had since come to her defense, the perception of the Anambra electorates about her might be unshaken despite her presentation of a people-centred manifesto.
Other candidates seeking to unseat Soludo on Saturday include;
Onyeeze Chidi Charles – Accord Party (A)
Nweke Ezechukwu Japhet – Action Alliance (AA)
Nwosu Chima John – African Democratic Congress (ADC)
Otti Cyprain Echezona – Allied Peoples Movement (APM)
Nweke Chrispopher Chukwudubem – Action Peoples Party (APP)
Okeke Chika Jerry – Boot Party (BP)
Onyejegbu Geoffrey – New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP)
Ndidi Christy Olieh – National Rescue Movement (NRM)
Chukwurah Vincent – Social Democratuc Party (SDP)
Chukwuma Paul Chukwuka – Young Progressives Party (YPP)
Ugwoji Uchenna Martin – Zenith Labour Party (ZLP)