ANALYSIS: Anambra 2025: Factors that powered Soludo’s landslide victory

The people of Anambra State have returned Charles Soludo as governor, handing him a second term.

In Saturday’s election, Mr Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) polled 422,664 votes to secure a sweeping victory, defeating his closest challenger, Nicholas Ukachukwu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), with 99,445 votes. The Young Progressives Party candidate, Paul Chukwuma, came third with 37,753 votes, while his counterpart from the Labour Party, George Moghalu, claimed the fourth position in the election with 10,576 votes.

Mr Soludo won in all 21 local government areas of the state—only the second time such a clean sweep has happened in Anambra’s history. The first was in 2017, when former governor Willie Obiano achieved the feat on the APGA platform.

Below are the key factors that paved the way for Mr Soludo’s victory.

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Incumbency advantage

Incumbency remains one of the most potent forces in Nigerian politics, and Mr Soludo leveraged it effectively. Having first been elected in November 2021, the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria approached this election with the whole government machinery behind him.

As serving governor, he controlled the political structures across Anambra’s 21 local government areas and 326 wards, giving him a decisive advantage. The power to mobilise resources, deploy appointees, and influence local dynamics all worked in his favour.

Mr Soludo also enjoyed the visibility that comes with the office. His ability to deliver projects positioned him over challengers who lacked similar platforms.

Unlike in 2021, when he had to fight through a crowded and tense race, he faced minimal internal opposition this time. He emerged unopposed in the APGA primary election, allowing him to channel his energy toward the general election. His campaign focused on continuity—projecting his first-term achievements and promising to consolidate them.

First-term projects

While incumbency provided Mr Soludo with structure, his performance gave him credibility. Analysts believe his visible achievements across key sectors earned him genuine goodwill from voters, especially in rural communities.

One of his initiatives was the launch of the Agunechemba Vigilante in January 2025. This security outfit assisted security agencies in the fight against violent crimes and separatist-linked attacks that had plagued the state. Though controversial at inception, the move helped restore a sense of calm in previously volatile areas such as Ihiala, Nnewi South, and parts of Aguata.

In infrastructure, Mr Soludo has overseen the construction or rehabilitation of numerous roads, including the Ekwulobia Flyover, which is now nearing completion. His administration’s focus on connecting rural towns to commercial hubs appears to have resonated strongly with voters in the hinterland, where bad roads had long hindered economic activity.

His free education policy for pupils in public schools and free antenatal and delivery care in state hospitals further endeared him to low-income families. These policies aligned with his “Solution Agenda,” a promise to reduce inequality and expand access to social services.

The governor also pushed major urban renewal projects, most notably the transformation of Kpoko, a once-notorious slum, into a planned urban community. He also initiated the construction of a new Anambra Government House.

APGA’s dominance

For over a decade, APGA has maintained a formidable presence in Anambra politics, branding itself as the “homegrown” party of the state. The party has successfully built deep institutional roots since Peter Obi’s landmark victory under its banner in 2006.

Before the 2025 poll, APGA officials repeatedly boasted that the opposition, comprising the APC, Labour Party, and PDP, posed no real threat. That confidence was not unfounded.

The party’s structure spans 21 LGAs and 326 wards, anchored by a vast network of ward captains, traditional rulers, community leaders, and local appointees. This grassroots penetration gives APGA unmatched reach in voter mobilisation, especially in rural and semi-urban areas where elections are often decided.

Mr Soludo’s campaign also benefited from the “Solution Marshals”, a newly created corps of community-based voter coordinators tasked with neighbourhood mobilisation and real-time polling coordination. The initiative, which combined technology with face-to-face persuasion, enhanced turnout in APGA strongholds and blunted the opposition’s gains in urban areas like Onitsha and Awka.

Mr Soludo effectively tapped into that sentiment, presenting his campaign as both a personal mandate and a continuation of the state’s political tradition.

Political alignment with Tinubu

Although they belong to different parties, Mr Soludo’s growing rapport with President Bola Tinubu added a subtle but powerful layer to his political calculation.

While the president did not publicly endorse him, their relationship has been mutually beneficial. Mr Soludo’s membership in Mr Tinubu’s Presidential Economic Advisory Team, to which he was appointed in March 2024, gave him proximity to federal power and access to the national conversation.

In August, Mr Soludo visited Mr Tinubu wearing a cap emblazoned with the symbol associated with the president. The gesture drew attention and speculation about a budding alliance between the two men.

Even before then, Mr Soludo has consistently praised the president’s economic reforms and expressed support for his re-election bid—a move interpreted as strategic positioning for federal cooperation.

For a governor seeking reelection, such goodwill mattered. It insulated him from potential federal antagonism and signalled to local power brokers that he enjoyed access to the centre. In a political climate where security and electoral logistics often hinge on federal institutions, that perception alone carried weight.

For the goodwill, Mr Tinubu, observers say, did not seem to join forces with the APC candidate to wrest power from APGA’s Mr Soludo.

Elite endorsement

Politics in Anambra has always been intertwined with commerce. The state, home to some of Nigeria’s most successful entrepreneurs, is shaped by the influence of a moneyed lifestyle and the elite class.

During the campaign, prominent businessmen, industrialists, and politicians threw their weight behind Mr Soludo. Their support may have provided financial muscle and social legitimacy, thereby amplifying APGA’s outreach.

Foremost among these figures was Arthur Eze, the billionaire oil magnate and philanthropist, who publicly endorsed Mr Soludo’s reelection. Mr Eze’s backing was significant for the resources it unlocked and the message it sent to other influential actors within Anambra’s tight-knit business community.

In a politically literate state like Anambra, endorsements from respected elites, such as senators, religious leaders, and industry moguls, carry significant symbolic weight. They help shape public perception and reinforce narratives of stability and continuity.

By successfully rallying this class of elites, Mr Soludo projected an image of cohesion and inevitability around his campaign. His ability to unite APGA’s political hierarchy with the state’s economic elite ensured a disciplined and well-funded effort that dwarfed those of his challengers.

Widespread goodwill

Another important factor in Mr Soludo’s favour in Saturday’s poll was the widespread goodwill he enjoys from the people of Anambra State. PREMIUM TIMES reporters who covered the exercise observed that the goodwill spread across the state’s three senatorial districts.

The admiration for him was palpable from one polling unit to another, including those outside Mr Soludo’s local government area and senatorial district. Little wonder the governor won in all the 21 local government areas of the state.

Analysts say the governor’s goodwill in Anambra was not tied to political and/or geographical affiliation.

“His victory was expected. The man is performing. Everybody knows this, especially those who knew Anambra before he came on board,” a critic of the governor told PREMIUM TIMES on Sunday night.

David Eleke, an Anambra-based journalist, believes that the governor’s goodwill stems from his outstanding performance in various development sectors in the last three and a half years in power.

Zoning arrangement

Mr Soludo’s victory was partly tied to the zoning arrangement in Anambra State, which favoured the Anambra South District, where he hails from. A loss for the governor at the polls would have disrupted the arrangement in different ways.

First, a victory for another candidate from the Anambra South District would hamper the arrangement, considering that such an individual would have wanted to govern for two terms. Mr Soludo has governed for nearly four years. Also, the emergence of a candidate from another district would have thwarted the arrangement. The people of Anambra appear to have factored this in their decision. After Mr Soludo’s second term, power will automatically shift to another district.