ANAMBRA GUBER 2025: Soludo (APGA), Ukachukwu (APC), Moghalu (LP) Emerge As Candidates; PDP Primary Set For April 8
The governor of Anambra state, Professor Chukwuma Soludo CFR., has emerged the consensus candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) party during the April 5, 2025, primary election held at Alex Ekwueme Square in Awka.
Prof. Charles Soludo, CFR, was unanimously nominated as the standard-bearer of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). The nomination was confirmed by a total of 3,168 party delegates from the 326 wards across the 21 Local Government Areas of the state, through a voice vote, where the delegates unanimously confirmed Governor Soludo as APGA’s candidate for the upcoming gubernatorial election
Out of the 3,175 delegates who were accredited, 3,172 votes were cast, with four invalid votes, reinforcing Governor Soludo’s overwhelming and unanimous victory.
This Guber primary took place at Dr. Alex Ekwueme Square in Awka on Saturday, April 5, 2025.
Earlier, the State Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Barr. Ifeatu Obiokoye, emphasized that the primary election serves as a reflection of the progress witnessed under the transformative leadership of Governor Charles Soludo over the years.
In his remarks, Chief Uchenna Nwegbo, Chairman of the Primary Election Electoral Committee, affirmed that Governor Soludo’s adoption as the sole APGA candidate, along with the entire electoral process, adheres to the Electoral Act of 2022.
According to Chief Nwaegbo Uche, chairman of the electoral committee, Soludo pulled a total of 3168 votes to emerge the candidate of the party.
After announcing the result, Chief Nwaegbo officially declared Soludo the winner, returned him as the party’s candidate and presented him with a certificate of return.
In his acceptance speech, Governor Soludo thanked the delegates for electing him to run for a second term under the platform of APGA.
He outlined the core of his administration’s accomplishments to include, recruitment of over 8,115 teachers, over 1000 health workers and consultants, Anambra state government house and lodge, over 750km of roads amongst others.
While promising to continue working for the people, he reassured the party members, stakeholders and ndi Anambra that the journey was far from over. “We have only scratched the surface. I will not let Ndi APGA and Ndi Anambra down. I cannot and will not take this trust for granted", he said.
He used the opportunity to nominate his present Deputy, Dr. Onyekachukwu Ibezim as his running mate stating that their partnership produced good results for the people.
Earlier, the State Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Barr. Ifeatu Obiokoye, emphasized that the primary election serves as a reflection of the progress witnessed under the transformative leadership of Governor Charles Soludo over the years.
The APGA 2025 Governorship Primary election was conducted under the meticulous supervision of officials from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and in strict accordance with the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Electoral Act of 2022, and INEC Guidelines and Regulations for Political Party Primaries.
A major highlight of the event was the formal issuance of the nomination certificate to Governor Soludo by the Party Primary Election Electoral Committee.
APGA delegates, INEC officials and others attended the primary election.
Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu (popularly known as Ikukuoma) has emerged as the winner of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary election in Anambra State.
Ukachukwu secured the party’s ticket with a landslide victory, polling 1,455 votes in the keenly contested election that began on Saturday and lasted until 4:19 a.m. on Sunday.
Valentine Ozigbo came a distant second with 67 votes, followed by Johnbosco Onunkwo with 26 votes. Edozie Madu trailed with 8 votes, while 27 votes were declared invalid.
Announcing the results in the early hours of Sunday, the APC returning officer and Governor of Cross River State, Bassey Otu, declared Ukachukwu as the party’s flag bearer and described him as “the lion of APC in Anambra State.”
He said, "by the power conferred on me as the chief returning officer, I hereby declare him the winner of the APC primaries in Anambra state.
“Power belongs to God. There’s no victor, no vanquished in today’s election. Our party had already decided that whoever that emerges victorious would be supported by all” the Cross River governor said.
Otu equally commended the security agencies for maintaining law and order, while also, thanking the contestants for their doggedness and maturity.
In his victory speech, Ukachukwu thanked President Bola Tinubu for giving the APC in Anambra the platform to vote which according to him, was the first in Anambra’s history without writing the result
“It is not a journey, but beginning of journey. All of us have to come together as one family for this journey. It is not going to be easy fighting the incumbent, but with a united house, everything is possible with the help of God
“We should close ranks and deliver Anambra to APC come November 8 and I promise not to disappoint you”, Ukachukwu said
The governorship candidate of the APC represented Abuja Municipal at the Federal House of representative in 1999.
Three prominent aspirants; Prof. Obiora Okonkwo Sir Paul Chukwuma and Rt Hon. Chukwuma Umeoji withdrew from the race.
Grapevine sources also hint that Prince Ukachukwu spent over N2 billion (N1 billion for each day of the two-day primary election exercise), to prosecute and ultimately secure the Guber ticket of the party.
Ukachukwu will face off against the incumbent Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo who emerged from the of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu aka Ikukuoma APC and Chief George Moghalu (LP) in the November 8 governorship election.
The total number of delegates was 1,630, but 1,582 were accredited, while the remaining did participate in the exercise.
Following the party’s primary election held on Saturday in Awka, Chief George Moghalu has emerged as the Labour Party candidate for the upcoming Anambra State governorship election scheduled for November 8, 2025. The former Managing Director, National Inland Waterways Authority secured 573 votes to defeat his only opponent, John Nwosu, with 19 votes. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the primary election was monitored by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission and electoral observers.
Six hundred and fifty - two delegates from the twenty one local government areas of the state are participated in the exercise, and while two aspirants, Chief George Moughalu and Mr John Nwosu are on the ballot papers, only Chief Moughalu was physically present at the venue of the primary election.
The reason for Chief Moghalu's singular presence was due to the fact that the other aspirant, Mr. John Chuma Nwosu, had announced his withdrawal from the party’s Anambra State primary election, a day earlier on Friday, April 4, accusing the party officials at both the national and state levels of engaging in illegalities that undermine democratic processes.
Nwosu’s decision followed the Supreme Court’s ruling on April 4, 2025, which sacked Barrister Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party.
And in a related development a looming doubt has emerged over the eligibility of George Moghalu to participate in the November 8 Anambra Guber Election, as it has been reported that the Labour Party (LP) has announced the indefinite suspension of its Anambra 2025 governorship primary election, which was originally scheduled for Saturday, April 5, 2025.
The suspension, according to the reports, follows the long-awaited verdict from the Supreme Court on Friday afternoon, which ousted the national chairman of the Labour Party, Julius Abure. The Court ruled that Abure, along with his executives at all levels, must vacate the party’s Secretariat.
Comrade Peter Okoye, the acting chairman of the Labour Party in Anambra State, confirmed the development in an interview with The Guardian in Awka on Friday afternoon.
He stated that the governorship primary election scheduled for April 5, 2025, would no longer take place.
“By virtue of the Supreme Court’s verdict this afternoon, any primary election conducted by any executive outside Senator Nenadi Usman will not stand,” Okoye explained.
He further added, “The new helmsman and her team would take over the National Secretariat and other structures down the line nationwide immediately.”
Okoye revealed that a meeting of the acting Anambra State executive has already been scheduled for Saturday to devise a way forward and immediately brief the national secretariat.
He urged the party’s members and supporters to remain steadfast and unwavering in their support, assuring them that issues would be addressed and normalized in due course.
While emphasizing that the Labour Party is the fastest-growing party in Nigeria, particularly in Anambra State, Okoye called on all members and stakeholders to stay vigilant and await further instructions.
Ezenwafor May Emerge As Sole PDP Candidate For Anambra Nov 8 Guber Election
As for the Peoples Democratic Party PDP, it appears that Amb Chief Jude Ezenwafor (popularly known as Diggar) may likely emerge as the sole Guber candidate of the party and he is the only person who has been sited at the party's Wadata plaza National Secretariat, Abuja, purchasing and submitting the intent and nomination forms for the November 8 Anambra Guber election.
The PDP has also confirmed that the party has extended its governorship primary in Anambra State from April 5 to April 8.
The state PDP chairman, Chidi Chidebe, who gave the confirmation while speaking to newsmen in Awka, said the primary will produce the party’s candidate for the November 8 governorship election.
Chidebe said the National Secretariat approved the postponement to complete necessary administrative processes and ensure a smooth exercise, even as he described PDP as the most peaceful party in Anambra, ready to contest united and prepared.
“Our primary election will now hold on Tuesday, April 8. With the confusion in other parties, it’s clear that PDP is not the problem,” he said.
He, therefore, called on members to prioritise public and party interests over personal ambitions.
This clarification was further corroborated by the office of Chief Jude Ezenwafor in a statement signed personally by the Guber aspirant, which reads:
PRESS RELEASE
RE: PDP PARTY PRIMARIES HOLDS TODAY.
Our attention has been drawn to a Media Publication been circulated on different Platform that the PDP Party primaries is slated to hold today alongside other Political Parties in Anambra State in preparation for the forthcoming governorship election.
We want to state categorically clear, that the Media office of our aspirant hereby dissociate itself from the media release and urge the public to disregard such fake News peddlers trying to divert public attention.
We also want to reiterate that PDP never announced any primaries today. According to a media briefing yesterday, the Party primaries will take place on 8th April, 2025 in Awka Anambra State.
We urge our Delegates , Critical stakeholders and all our teeming supporters to discard the fake News and remain resolute in the pursuit of free, Fair and credible primaries that will take place on Tuesday 8th April, 2025.
Thank You and God bless PDP.
Signed:
Amb. Sir Jude Ezenwafor Media Office.
5th April, 2025
However, there's the growing suspension on Anambra political circles that Chief Ezenwafor (Digar) may just be a place holder for one of the top candidates who withdrew from the primaries of the APC and that the PDP had strategically shifted the date of it's primaries to accommodate such an eventually in order to field a more formidable candidate for the November 8 Anambra Guber election.
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