By Abimbola Bamgbose/Adebukola Aluko
President Bola Tinubu on Sunday congratulated Governor Chukwuma Soludo on his re-election, calling the result “an affirmation of visionary leadership” and promising closer federal–state collaboration with Anambra.
The Independent National Electoral Commission declared Soludo the winner of Saturday’s off-cycle poll after he swept all 21 Local Government areas.
In a statement signed and released on Sunday, Tinubu praised voters, security agencies and INEC for a peaceful exercise and urged the governor to be “magnanimous in victory.”
He also commended the new INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan and charged the commission to sustain higher standards in future polls.
The overwhelming victory he recorded in Saturday’s poll has now made him the third governor in the state’s political history to win a second term.
He wrote, “I must also congratulate the people of Anambra State, the security agencies and the Independent National Electoral Commission on the peaceful and successful conduct of the governorship election.”
“Professor Soludo’s re-election is a testament to his visionary leadership and the significant progress the state has made under his guidance.
Tinubu reminisced on his visit to Anambra State in May, where he inaugurated some projects executed by the Soludo administration.
Assuring Soludo of his support, the President urged the former Central Bank Chief to be magnanimous in victory and to seek the cooperation of his opponents in the just-concluded elections.
He stated, “I assure Governor Soludo of my unwavering support, and I look forward to continued collaboration between Anambra and the Federal Government.
Tinubu also thanked the new INEC Chairman, Amupitan, and his team for conducting what, according to him, observers have described as a credible election, “based on the reports I have received thus far.”
“I charge the commission with maintaining the standards and further improving its performance, so we can continue to strengthen and deepen our electoral system,” said Tinubu.
Similarly, Ogun State Governor and Chairman of the Southern Governors’ Forum, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has congratulated Governor Soludo of Anambra State on his re-election.
Soludo, candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, won the election with 422,664 votes, defeating his closest rival, Nicholas Ukachukwu of the APC, who polled 99,445 votes.
In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Strategy, Mr Kayode Akinmade, Governor Abiodun said the result reflected the confidence of the people of Anambra in Soludo’s leadership.
He urged the re-elected governor to sustain his development agenda and continue to promote unity across political lines, while commending his cordial working relationship with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
