A New Era for Anambra State
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the recently concluded Anambra State governorship election, Jude Ezenwafor, has expressed a commitment to collaborate with the current governor, Chukwuma Soludo, to drive the development of the state forward. This pledge came during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, where Ezenwafor highlighted his long-standing and friendly relationship with Soludo.
“I can assist him. I have been assisting him before; he is my friend. I brought him to work in Anambra,” Ezenwafor stated. His remarks underscored a sense of camaraderie that has existed between the two leaders for some time.
Ezenwafor revealed that he was instrumental in encouraging Soludo to run for the governorship while serving as a Senior Special Assistant to former Governor Willie Obiano. “I convinced Soludo to contest the election in the first instance when I was Senior Special Assistant to Governor Willie Obiano. He came, he did well, and there is no perfect person,” he added.
Despite acknowledging the criticisms surrounding security in the state, Ezenwafor commended Soludo and his team for their proactive approach. He advised the governor to focus on inclusivity and enhance 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 also emphasized the importance of a government that ensures safety and prosperity for all. “I have called to congratulate him, but if he doesn’t do well, I will speak. I will advise Governor Chukwuma Soludo to run an inclusive government so that Anambra will be very safe and prosperous.”
Addressing Election Allegations
Ezenwafor addressed allegations of vote-buying during the election, describing them as exaggerated. “That’s their opinion. I intend to challenge in court whether vote-buying is not election rigging. Almost five political parties engaged in vote-buying. If you remove the five, you will find me. I did not buy votes.”
He also mentioned that his 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.
Dismissing Placeholder Claims
Ezenwafor dismissed claims that he ran as a placeholder, attributing his electoral performance partly to an alleged assassination attempt. “If you say something like that, it doesn’t matter. Nobody will throw away over ₦80 million to clinch a party ticket just to be a figurehead. Am I stupid? I had the intention to run.”
He explained that he had a network of supporters known as the Organic Millionaires Club, which included 100 people who promised him 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.
Reviving the PDP in Anambra
Reflecting on his efforts to revive the PDP in the state, Ezenwafor shared his experiences. “The PDP was in a comatose state when I came in. I decided to run, but I was shocked when there was an attempt on my life. I was hospitalised for almost three months.”
Election Results and Voter Turnout
According to reports, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officially declared Soludo the winner of the November 8 Anambra governorship election. The State Returning Officer, Professor Omoregie Edoba, confirmed that Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance polled 422,664 votes, defeating his closest rival, Nicholas Ukachukwu of the All Progressives Congress, who scored 99,445 votes.
Paul Chukwuma of the Young Progressives Party came third with 37,753 votes, while John Nwosu of the African Democratic Congress got 8,208 votes. Labour Party’s George Moghalu scored 10,576 votes, and Jude Ezenwafor of the PDP had 1,401 votes.
INEC reported that 598,229 voters were accredited out of 2,788,864 registered voters, with 584,054 valid votes and 11,244 rejected ballots.