The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the 2025 Anambra governorship election, Jude Ezenwafor, has expressed readiness to work with Governor Chukwuma Soludo for the progress of the state.

Ezenwafor, who spoke on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Monday, said he had always shared a cordial relationship with Governor Soludo.

“I can assist him. I have been assisting him before; he is my friend. I brought him to work in Anambra,” he said on the breakfast show, one day after Soludo was declared the winner of Saturday’s exercise.

“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 said.

In the lead-up to the election, security was a key talking point among the candidates and other stakeholders.

Despite criticisms of Soludo’s handling of the matter, the PDP flagbearer commended the governor and his team for being proactive. He urged the governor to prioritise inclusivity in governance.

“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. 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,” Ezenwafor said.

Vote-Buying Claims

Allegations of vote-buying had marred the peaceful poll, but Ezenwafor said the claims were 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.

“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 stated.

‘Not A Party Figurehead’

The PDP polled 1,401 votes in Saturday’s election, placing one of Nigeria’s biggest parties in sixth position, a distance way below the winning party – the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA)’s 422,644 votes.

But Ezenwafor has dismissed suggestions that he was a placeholder, attributing his performance in the election to an alleged assassination attempt on him.

“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. 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.

“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,” the PDP chieftain said.

‘Soludo’s Second-term Victory’

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Sunday declared Governor Soludo as the winner of the November 8 Anambra governorship election.

According to the results announced by the State Returning Officer, Omoregie Edoba, Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) polled 422,664 votes to defeat his closest rival, Nicholas Ukachukwu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who scored 99,445 votes.

Paul Chukwuma of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) came third with 37,753 votes, while John Nwosu of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) got 8,208 votes. Labour Party’s George Moghalu scored 10,576 votes, and Jude Ezenwafor of the PDP had 1,401 votes.

INEC stated that 598,229 voters were accredited out of 2,788,864 registered voters, with 584,054 valid votes and 11,244 rejected ballots.

While the election was largely peaceful, it was marred by reports of vote-buying and voter apathy across several polling units. The EFCC confirmed the arrest of three suspects for alleged vote-buying and said investigations were ongoing.

However, INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner, Queen Agwu, dismissed the claims, saying no evidence had been presented.

Soludo’s victory earned him a fresh four-year term, with his deputy, Onyeka Ibezim, as both await their certificates of return from INEC. (CHANNELS)