Timothy Omobude 
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared and returned Prof Chukwuma Soludo as the winner of Saturday’s governorship election in Anambra state.
Soludo who contested on the platform of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) for re-election for a second term was challenged by 15 other candidates, including close rivals – Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu of All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Paul Chukwuma of Young Progressives Party (YPP), John Nwosu of African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Dr George Moghalu of Labour Party (LP), among others.
Declaring the final results of the election, the state collation officer, Professor Edoba B. Omoregie, SAN, the vice chancellor of the University of Benin, announced the total tally for the election.
He said: “Total registered voters in the state is 2,788,864, total accredited voters for the election which held yesterday is 598,229.”He also announced total valid votes for the election as 584,054, while ejected votes stood at 11,244, and the total votes cast, 595,298.Announcing votes garners by the candidates, Omoregie announced that the APGA candidate, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo scored 422,664 as the highest figure in the election.
Three of his challengers, Ukachukwu of APC, scored 99,445, Paul Chukwuma of YPP 37,753, Moghalu of LP 10,576 and Nwosu of ADC 8,208.Prof Omoregie after computing the results said 10,481, total voters were affected in areas where there were skirmishes, but when the figures were added up the number of votes by the leading candidate and the runner up, it was discovered that the error margin did not affect the winner.
He said: “I hereby certify that I’m the returning officer of the election, I also certify that the election was contested and a winner emerged. I declare that Soludo Charles Chukwuma having satisfied the requirement of the law and scored the highest number of votes is hereby declared elected.
“I must add that the winner scored the required votes in two Third of the local government. There are 21 local government areas in the state, and the candidate scored two-thirds in all the local government.”
