The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has issued the certificate of return to Anambra governor-elect Chukwuma Charles Soludo and his deputy-to-be Onyekachukwu Ibezim.
INEC state resident electoral commissioner Nkwachukwu Orji presented the certificate to Soludo and Ibezim on Friday.
Speaking during the presentation, Orji appealed to Soludo to uphold good governance.
The National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee of INEC, Festus Okoye, had earlier announced this in a statement.
“Following the conclusion of the election and as provided for in Section 75 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended), certificates of return will be presented to the Governor-elect and Deputy Governor-elect tomorrow Friday 12th November 2021 at our State office in Awka…”
Soludo, who was the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the election was declared winner of the election on Wednesday morning.
Indeed, Soludo’s imminent victory has been obvious since Sunday after the announcement of results from 20 out of the 21 local government areas of the state.
He had won in 18 local council areas, leaving only Ihiala Local Government Area to be decided by a supplementary election, which was held on Tuesday.
After the collation of results of the 21 local government areas in the state, Soludo won in 19, after winning in Ihiala LGA.
Soludo, 61, won with 112,229 votes beating Valentine Ozigbo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who garnered 53,807 votes to second place and Andy Uba of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who garnered 43,285 votes to third.
Ifeanyi Ubah of the Young Progressive Party (YPP) came fourth with 21,261 votes.
In April, the Supreme Court affirmed Soludo as the APGA governorship candidate after it sacked a former APGA candidate, Chukwuma Umeoji, who was initially listed as the party’s candidate.
Also in April, Soludo narrowly escaped death when some gunmen attacked him and his aides during a town hall meeting in Isuofia, his hometown in the Aguata Local Government Area of the state.
The assailants killed three of his police orderlies prompting him to dedicate his victory to them on Wednesday.
Soludo is expected to be sworn into office in March 2022 after the expiration of Governor Willie Obiano’s second term in office.
Obiano is also a member of APGA.
Via Sahara Reporters
