The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the 2025 Anambra governorship election, Jude Ezenwafor, has affirmed his willingness to collaborate with Governor Chukwuma Soludo to advance the development of the state.
Ezenwafor, speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Monday, said he had always maintained a friendly 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 during the programme, a day after Soludo was declared the winner of Saturday’s poll.
He added, “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.”
Security concerns dominated discussions in the buildup to the election.
Despite criticisms of how Soludo handled the situation, Ezenwafor praised the governor and his team for their efforts, urging him to prioritise inclusive 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 added.
He also weighed in on allegations of vote-buying that surfaced during the otherwise peaceful election, describing the claims 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.
“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 said.
Addressing suggestions that he was merely a placeholder, Ezenwafor dismissed the claims:
“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 alleged an attempt was made on his life during the campaign.
“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.”
INEC on Sunday declared Governor Soludo winner of the November 8 Anambra governorship election.
According to the figures announced by the State Returning Officer, Omoregie Edoba, Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) garnered 422,664 votes, defeating Nicholas Ukachukwu of the APC, who secured 99,445 votes.
Paul Chukwuma of the YPP came third with 37,753 votes, followed by John Nwosu of the ADC with 8,208 votes. Labour Party’s George Moghalu received 10,576 votes, while Ezenwafor of the PDP got 1,401 votes.
INEC said 598,229 voters were accredited out of 2,788,864 registered voters, recording 584,054 valid votes and 11,244 rejected ballots.
Although the election was mostly peaceful, it was affected by reports of vote-buying and low voter turnout across some polling units. The EFCC confirmed the arrest of three suspects over alleged vote-buying and said investigations were ongoing.
However, INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner, Queen Agwu, refuted the allegations, saying no proof had been presented.
Soludo’s win gives him another four-year term alongside his deputy, Onyeka Ibezim, as they await their certificates of return from INEC.