Former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, has won the governorship primaries of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). Soludo clinched all the 21 local government areas of the State in Awka on Wednesday.
The election was held by the Chief Victor Oye faction of the party, which also has the support of the only Governor of the party, Chief Willie Obiano.
Soludo contested with four other aspirants, Hon ThankGod Ibe, Hon Okwudili Ezenwankwo and Barr Damian Okolo. He scored 740 votes out of the total 792 votes cast in the election.
Soludo’s challengers, Okwudili Ezenwankwo got 41 votes, ThankGod Ibe 10 votes and Okolo Damian seven votes.
Announcing the result at the Prof Dora Akunyili Women’s Development Centre, the Chief returning officer of the party, Mr Olalere, who is the Vice Chairman Southwest of the party said: “By the power conferred on me as the Chief returning officer of the election, I hereby declare Prof Chukwuma Soludo the duly elected candidate of APGA for the November 6 governorship election.”
Speaking immediately after the declaration, the Governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano assured the candidate and member of the party that the party would again win the governorship election in November overwhelmingly as it did in 2017.
“I want to commend the national working committee the state working committee for the peaceful conduct. It is exceptional. Just know that the job has just started and we are going to win 21 over 21 local government areas again as we did in 2017,” he said.
Soludo during an acceptance speech thanked the members of the party, while also accepting to be the candidate of the party, promising to unveil his manifesto for the election in August.
Five aspirants of the party, Akachukwu Nwankpo, Nonso Okafor, Carter Dike, Chuma Umeoji and Ifeanyi Ozoka, who were disqualified weeks back, boycotted the exercise, giving indication that they may participate in the Jude Okeke faction of the party primary election.
