Anambra Election: PDP Candidate Accepts Defeat, Vows Support For Soludo
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the November 8 Anambra State governorship election, Jude Ezenwafor, has accepted defeat and vowed to work with Governor Chukwuma Soludo for the development of the state.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) the winner, with 422,664 votes. His closest rival, Nicholas Ukachukwu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), scored 99,445 votes.
Paul Chukwuma of the Young Progressives Party came third with 37,753 votes, followed by Labour Party’s George Moghalu with 10,576 votes, John Nwosu of the African Democratic Congress with 8,208 votes, and PDP’s Jude Ezenwafor with 1,401 votes. INEC said 598,229 voters were accredited out of 2,788,864 registered voters, with 584,054 valid votes and 11,244 rejected ballots.
Speaking on Channels Television on Monday, Ezenwafor described his relationship with Soludo as longstanding and cordial.
“I can assist him. I have been assisting him before; he is my friend. I brought him to work in Anambra,” he said, adding that he encouraged Soludo to contest the governorship while serving as Senior Special Assistant to former Governor Willie Obiano.
Ezenwafor acknowledged security challenges in the state but commended Soludo’s proactive efforts, urging the governor to prioritise inclusivity and strengthen security operations.
“Soludo and his security team are working. We have competent security chiefs in Anambra. I will advise His Excellency, Governor Soludo: What they need is better equipment, and insecurity will end. I believe he will do more,” he said.
On allegations of vote-buying during the election, Ezenwafor described the claims as exaggerated, insisting he did not engage in the practice.
“Almost five political parties engaged in vote-buying. If you remove the five, you will find me. I did not buy votes. Even my party agents were taken by the state executives to work for another party. But Anambra people have spoken; we will allow Governor Soludo to finish his four years,” he said.
Ezenwafor also addressed claims that he ran as a placeholder, citing an alleged assassination attempt as a factor affecting his electoral performance.
“Nobody will throw away over ₦80 million to clinch a party ticket just to be a figurehead. I had the intention to run. I have my Organic Millionaires Club, 100 people who promised me 10 votes each. I was already cruising at 326,000 votes, but these people messed me up. I’m not desperate or feeling bad. I thank God I’m alive. I even suspect they were the ones that shot me,” he said.
He added that the PDP was “in a comatose state” when he joined and praised his survival after spending almost three months hospitalised following the attempt on his life.
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
