Youths jubilating at APCs Ukochukwu home for wining in his polling unit
Drama as voters protest over missing result sheet
‘I will win if votes count’ – Soludo declares, accuses opponents of vote-buying
Anambra State Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo has just voted in his polling, Ofiyi Square, Polling Unit 002, Isuofia in Aguata Local Government Area.
Soludo voted at exactly 1:25 pm. He arrived the polling unit and was quickly accredited and he went on to cast his vote.
Meanwhile, over 400 voters are still waiting to vote at the centre. The delay is as a result of the fact that only one BVAS machine was made available to the centre.
Meanwhile, the governor who spoke to journalists, said he was confident of victory.
He said he has heard that his opponents were buying votes, adding that he is confident of winning the election if the votes count.
He said: “The election has been relatively peaceful and going on very peacefully, except for some places where we have gotten reports of difficulty.
“We have witnessed glitches here and there, like some polling units in Olumbanasa where the BVAS were not working very well. We have also received reports about Nnewi South Local Government Area, where someone was sharing N15,000 for votes, maybe because he is desperate to win in that local government.
“I heard it and I said, don’t mind. Even if they share N100,000, let the people just vote and let the votes count. We are fairly convinced that on the basis of one man one vote, we are going to win landslide, there is not question about that.”
The All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate, Nicholas Ukachukwu, has cast his vote, alleging vote buying and intimidation of his party’s agents in the ongoing 2025 Anambra governorship election.
Ukachukwu, who voted at his polling unit in Osumenyi Ward 2, Polling Unit 012, described the development as a threat to democracy.
“If there’s no seller, there cannot be a buyer. Some people have chosen to sell their conscience, which is even worse than those buying votes.
“When you give up your right for money, you lose your voice as a citizen. You can’t cry later, society must be blamed for encouraging this,” the APC candidate said after casting his vote.
He added that one of his agents was assaulted during the voting exercise.
When asked about the situation in Ihiala, one of the state’s flashpoints, Ukachukwu said there had been no major violence or casualties so far.
Meanwhile, the election has caused traffic disruptions in Onitsha, as security officials cordoned off the Niger Bridge to restrict movement and ensure the safe transport of election materials and personnel.
Voting continues across Anambra’s 21 local government areas, with over 5,700 polling units open. By 8:30 a.m., accreditation and voting had commenced peacefully in areas such as Fegge Community Primary School, Onitsha.
Anambra election: Soludo arrives polling unit
The governor of Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo has arrived his polling unit, Ofiyi Square, Polling Unit 002, Isuofia in Aguata Local Government Area of the state.
Soludo arrived at 1:15 pm, joining a large number of voters who are yet to get accreditation before voting.
The unit has the largest voting strength in the local government with 933 voters.
As at 1:00 pm when DAILY POST arrived at the polling unit, no fewer that 400 voters were patiently waiting as the process delayed due the provision of only one BVAS machine.
Senator Nwoye casts vote, praises security operatives for maintaining peace
The Senator representing Anambra North Senatorial District, Senator Dr. Tony Nwoye, has cast his vote in Nsugbe Ward 1, in Anambra East Local Government Area.
Nwoye, who was among the early voters, told reporters he was unimpressed with the voter turnout. He said that preliminary reports he is getting across the state indicate that there may be voter apathy.
The Senator commended the efforts of security operatives and praised the electorate for maintaining calm and order in the course of the voting process.
At Odubo Polling Unit 006, Nteje, there was a heavy presence of security operatives, yet reports of voter influence by party agents persisted.
Party representatives were seen strategically positioned near the polling booth, whispering to voters and allegedly urging them to display their ballot papers after thumbprinting; a move suspected to be linked to financial inducement.
Surprisingly, security agents at the scene appeared indifferent to the conduct, watching as the interactions unfolded.
As of 11:15 a.m., a long queue of voters was still waiting patiently to cast their ballots, even as the atmosphere remained tense but calm.
Large voter turn out at Peter Obi’s polling units in Agulu
A visit to the polling units of the former governor of Anambra State and presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 election has shown a large voter turnout.
The voters, who were mainly aged women, were seen sitting patiently at Polling Unit 019, Umudim Akasi, Agulu Ward 2, Anaocha Local Government Area.
The women waited patiently while INEC officials accredited voters who proceeded to the voting point.
Some voters at the polling units applauded the turnout, saying that more people might still arrive at the unit.
Voting going on smoothly at about 9:23 am in PU:013, Registration Area14:umeleri II, all in Anambra East LG
Only APGA, APC present agents in most Awka polling units
Two political parties, whose candidates are deemed to be the top contenders in today’s governorship election in Anambra, have proven to be truly dominant in the state by presenting agents in most of the polling units visited.
In most polling units around the state capital, Awka, only the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) had their party agents on the ground.
At Awka Ward VI, polling units 010, 024, and 025, which are domiciled at Federal Government Technical College (GTC), only the two parties presented agents.
While Mr. John Morah identified himself as an agent of the APC, APGA was represented by Mr. Chukwuma Anekwe.
Voting going on smoothly at about 9:23 am in PU:013, Registration Area14:umeleri II, all in Anambra East LG
Anambra Decides: Vote commences in polling units
The Anambra State governorship election has commenced in some polling units.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC posted an update from some polling units in the Njikoka Local Government Area of the state.
The post reads, “Voting has commenced at RA 10: Enugwu Ukwu II, PU 003 & PU 004, Njikoka LGA”.
The commission had earlier assured eligible voters participating in the election that their votes will count.
“Be counted, be heard. Step out and vote peacefully. Every vote must count”, the electoral umpire wrote.
It also warned against vote selling, saying “your vote is not for sale.”
INEC officials Arrive in Awka as voting gets underway
Officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) have finally arrived at some polling units in Awka, the state capital, for today’s election.
At Agu Awka, polling units 008 and 022 at Aroma, Awka South Local Government Area, shouts of victory were heard from expected voters.
Officials are already pasting the names of eligible voters in preparation for the commencement of voting.
Despite assurances that voting would commence at 8 a.m. on Saturday, officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had not arrived at polling units in Awka as of 8:30 a.m.
A visit to Agu Awka polling units 008 and 022 at Aroma Junction, just a few meters from the INEC headquarters, showed that officials were yet to arrive.
An accredited observer of INEC from JDPC, a non-governmental organization run by the Catholic Church, Mr. Charles Kwentoh, expressed disappointment at the delay, despite earlier assurances that voting would begin at 8 a.m.
The Anambra off-circle governorship election will be held today, Saturday, November 8, 2025.
Anambra is one of the eight states where elections are held outside of the general election timetable.
Among those states are Bayelsa, Kogi, Anambra, Imo, Osun, Ondo, Edo, and Ekiti.
Anambra joined in off-circle governorship election in 2003 after the court sacked Chris Ngige, a candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, who was declared the winner of the state governorship election and installed Peter Obi of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, after a two-year tribunal case at the Court of Appeal in Enugu.
About sixteen candidates have been listed by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to run for this year’s election.
Onyeeze Chidi – A
Nweke Ezechukwu – Japhet – AA
Ifemeludike Chioma Grace – AAC
Nwosu Chima John – ADC
Ukachukwu Nicholas – APC
Soludo Charles – APGA
Otti Cyprian Echezona – APM.
Nweke Christopher
Chukwudubem – APP
Okeke Chika Jerry – BP
Moghalu George – LP
Onyejgbu Geoffrey – NNPP
Ndidi Christy Olieh – NRM
Ezenwafor Jude – PDP
Chukwurah Vincent – SDP
Chukwuma Paul Chukwuka -YPP and last but not the least,
Ugwoji Uchenna – ZLP
Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof Joash Amupitan, on several occasions reaffirmed the Commission’s total readiness for the Anambra State Governorship.
He said that the Commission has deployed a total of 24,000 personnel for the polls and that election will hold in 5,718 of the 5720 PUs, citing lack of voters at the two PUs left out.
The incumbent governor, Soludo, remains a major contender in the governorship race.
Follow this thread for updates and results of the Anambra State governorship election.
A faction of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has expressed “utter dismay” over the withdrawal of some of its chairmanship candidates from the forthcoming Abuja Local Council elections, calling the move “anti-democratic in every sense.”
The party also warned that it reflects a troubling trend in the party’s leadership.
In a Friday statement on its social handles, the National Working Committee of the party said: “The National Working Committee of the Party @OfficialPDPNig has received with utter dismay the news of the withdrawal or stepping down of some Chairmanship Candidates of our Party from the forthcoming Abuja Local Council elections.”
Describing the development as a symptom of a broader problem, the party accused some leaders of fostering what it termed “voodoo democracy.”
It read, “As sad as this development is, it is a pointer to the type of voodoo democracy promoted by those parading as leaders of the PDP, whose only interest is to ‘hold’ the party for the President.”
The statement also warned that such actions could foreshadow attempts to manipulate presidential elections.
It continued, “This is exactly what they intended to do to Nigerians, when close to the Presidential elections, they can compel, induce or cajole all the other candidates to step down or withdraw for the President to have a smooth sail back to Aso Rock Villa, despite the abysmal performance of his administration.”
The PDP said it had previously acted against such behavior within the party: “It was for ignoble, reckless and shameless acts like these that we excommunicated them from our party, in order to rebuild a strong opposition party, prepared for a struggle to return to power by 2027.”
The statement concluded with instructions for voters: “Furthermore, voters should go to the polls prepared to protect their votes and ensure that Presiding Officers transmit Form EC8A immediately after announcing the result at the polling unit.”
The press release was signed by Comrade Ini Ememobong, MNIPR, National Publicity Secretary of the People’s Democratic Party.
PDP chairmanship candidate for the Bwari Area Council election, Julius Adamu, on Wednesday withdrew from the race in favour of the All Progressives Congress candidate, Joshua Musa.
The stand-down, marked by a show of supporters and political heavyweights, took place on Wednesday in Bwari, where FCT Minister Nyesom Wike was present.
In line with the directive of the National Secretariat of the All Progressives Congress, congresses to elect party officials at the ward, local government and state levels were scheduled for February and March this year.
However, concerns are mounting that the exercise in Ondo State could be marred by crisis amid a perceived supremacy battle between Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa and the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, popularly known as BTO.
The alleged battle for control of Ondo APC took a deadly turn on Wednesday when two people were reportedly killed and five others injured during violent clashes at the ward congress in Odode-Idanre, the headquarters of Idanre Local Government Area. The incidents occurred as the ruling party conducted congresses across its 203 wards in the state.
The unrest is believed to be a spillover from Tuesday’s disruption at the party secretariat in Akure, where suspected hoodlums stormed a stakeholders’ meeting and assaulted party leaders.
Among the victims was Raphael Adetimehin, younger brother of the state APC caretaker chairman, Ade Adetimehin, who sustained machete wounds after attackers allegedly mistook him for his brother due to their resemblance. Eyewitnesses reported that his vehicle was set ablaze before he was rushed to the General Hospital in Idanre, where he remains in a coma.
By party tradition and structure, the governor is widely regarded as the leader of the party at the state level, just as the President occupies that position nationally. As a minister appointed by the President, Tunji-Ojo technically falls within that federal hierarchy.
However, recent developments suggest that the Ondo State chapter of the APC has quietly split into two blocs — one aligned with Governor Aiyedatiwa and the other with the Interior Minister.
Although neither Aiyedatiwa nor Tunji-Ojo has openly acknowledged any rift, subtle signs of tension have fuelled speculation. At the recently concluded 50th anniversary celebration of Ondo State, both men publicly displayed cordiality. A viral video showed them exchanging warm embraces at the Government House in Alagbaka. They also sat side-by-side at the grand finale held at the Akure Township Stadium, where Tunji-Ojo represented President Bola Tinubu. At least outwardly, there was no visible sign of animosity.
Behind the scenes, however, party sources claim the minister has been playing an increasingly influential role within the state chapter. Tunji-Ojo is said to have cultivated strong ties with party elders and stakeholders, providing financial support and attending to their needs — gestures that have reportedly earned him loyalty and reverence among some members. He is also believed to be coordinating various support groups working for President Tinubu’s re-election across the state.
Some beneficiaries of the minister’s outreach have allegedly accused Governor Aiyedatiwa of not doing enough to strengthen party structures, despite being the state’s chief executive.
The alleged rivalry came into sharper focus on Tuesday when political thugs invaded the APC state secretariat in Akure during a pre-ward congress stakeholders’ meeting. The attackers reportedly assaulted several party leaders, including the state chairman, Ade Adetimehin; the Ondo State representative on the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Otito Atikase; former Sports Commissioner Saka Yusuf-Ogunleye; and former Water Resources Commissioner Yetunde Adeyanju, among others.
In the aftermath, allegations emerged from some quarters that the governor’s camp orchestrated the disruption, claiming he had not approved the timing of the meeting. However, no official confirmation has substantiated those claims.
The former commissioner, Adeyanju, who was allegedly rough-handled by the thugs said, “The thugs came and were shouting, ‘we are from Aiyedatiwa.’ They specifically mentioned Aiyedatiwa, that ‘Aiyeatiwa sent us. We don’t want congress in Ondo State. The governor is in charge. The governor is the leader of the state and the governor is in charge. Nobody can query the authority of the governor and anybody that wants to talk about congress in Ondo State will be assassinated. If you talk about congress in Ondo State, you will be assassinated.’ They said that Aiyedatiwa owned the state, so, nobody should talk about congress.
Corroborating Adeyanju, the state party chairman, Adetimehin said, “The chairman of the committee (from Abuja) said we should hold a stakeholders meeting today (Tuesday). We both agreed to hold the meeting by 12pm. Then we sent this out for all of us to attend. Then I told the governor that I heard from the grapevine that some people were mobilising to the secretariat to destroy the meeting. He said no that such a thing cannot happen under his watch, that he would take charge. He (Aiyedatiwa) said he would caution anybody behind it, but 30 minutes later, the place was invaded with thugs, with cutlasses and other dangerous weapons. They beat hell out of all the leaders and members, except those who are for them. They beat me and dragged me on the floor; they took away my two phones and money from my pocket, with my wristwatch.”
However, Governor Aiyedatiwa denied any involvement in the disruption. The stakeholders’ meeting was eventually held later on Tuesday evening at the party secretariat — albeit in the absence of the state chairman.
The governor maintained that supporters of various aspirants were responsible for the violence, insisting he had no hand in the attack. He further clarified that the earlier gathering which was disrupted was not an officially recognised stakeholders’ meeting.
“But this one was an impromptu stakeholders’ meeting because of the congresses at the ward and local government levels. As he said, the meeting was shifted to 2pm because it was initially fixed for 10am and I said I would not be able to make it at that time. Later on, I got a call from one of them saying there were some problems around, or some miscreants around the party secretariat. I asked him to call the Commissioner of Police, and I also called the Commissioner of Police to ensure the place was protected because I was going to attend the meeting.
“I asked that security operatives be deployed to protect the place. Later, I got to know that some miscreants, who had sympathy for one aspirant or the other, those who are contesting for one position or the other, were moving around and trying to create some kind of fracas among them, which led to some disturbances.”
A chieftain of the party and Director-General of the pro-BTO group known as the Grassroots Movement for Tinubu, Saka Yusuf-Ogunleye, confirmed the internal crisis in the state APC relating to the governor and the minister, but blamed the governor for not managing the situation well as the leader of the party in the state.
Yusuf-Ogunleye, who was a former Commissioner for Sports in the state, alleged that Tunji-Ojo had been taking care of the party after it was abandoned by the governor. According to him, the gesture had earned the minister significant popularity, leaving the governor jittery.
He stated, “Let me tell you, there is what is called an inferiority complex. When the governor abandons the party — the people who brought him into power — it is BTO who steps in to take care of them. For instance, during the last Christmas period, when the governor was distributing rice to every local government, the rice was delivered to and received by political office holders and not party members.
“The party was abandoned, and it was BTO who brought rice and gave 20 bags to each ward, irrespective of affiliation. He is not shunning the party; he is taking care of it. But the governor is not happy about it because he (Tunji-Ojo) did not allow party members to suffer.
“If not for BTO today, there would be no APC in the state. That is the truth. That is why you see all the party leaders on his side. But the governor is not comfortable. They are saying BTO wants to become governor. You (Aiyedatiwa) have not even spent a year in office. You still have about three years in this tenure. Why not concentrate on governance and build the party? As a governor, why are you beating your party people? More than 17 party leaders are in different hospitals in the state now after the attack yesterday (Tuesday). Why resort to violence?”
On the contrary, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor declared that Aiyedatiwa remained the leader by virtue of his position as the state governor and that he had been carrying everyone along in the spirit of fairness while playing a strong leadership role in the party.
He denied any rift between his principal and the minister.
“The governor is the leader of the party and father to all party members. He has always provided leadership that embraces all groups and interests in the party since he became governor. He is the first governor in the history of the state to hold quarterly stakeholders’ engagements with party leaders, and this has fostered unity and a sense of belonging in the APC in the state.
“On the crisis in the ward congress in some parts of the state, the pockets of issues recorded have nothing to do with the governor, and that is why he called on security agencies to restore order at the party secretariat on Tuesday. The governor has also called on security agencies to investigate the crisis that took place in Idanre earlier today (Wednesday) and bring the perpetrators to justice.”
“He has also appealed to all aspirants contesting for party positions to call their followers and supporters to order as his administration will not tolerate any breakdown of law and order in any part of the state,” he stated.
In the same vein, the state Commissioner for Information, Idowu Ajanaku, said there was no rift between the governor and the minister, adding that as leader of the party in the state, Aiyedatiwa has provided effective leadership and fostered unity among members.
“I am not aware of any crisis anywhere, the governor is the party leader , no argument about that,” Ajanaku said.
In a situation like this, one would naturally ask about the role of the party elders, who had previously claimed to be unaware of the matter.
However, it now appears they acknowledge that there is crisis brewing within the party and have promised to intervene, particularly concerning the attack on the secretariat on Tuesday.
The chairman of the elders’ forum, Pa Erastus Akeju, said, “This dichotomy between BTO and the governor is new to us; we were not aware of it. It has not been brought before the elders. BTO has not reported to us that the governor is after him. The governor has not reached out to us to say that BTO is challenging him.
“We are just waiting for an opportunity to see what is really happening. You see, when there is no report of violence or disagreement — physical disagreement, I mean — we cannot simply go to the governor and ask, ‘Are you quarreling with BTO?’ or ask BTO, ‘What is between you and the governor?’ We would be told, ‘Nothing.’ So it is only now, as the issue has escalated publicly into a physical confrontation, that we can say, ‘All right, it’s time for the elders to intervene.’”
A political affairs analyst, Lanre Alewa, described the cold war between the governor and the minister as unhealthy for the ruling party, particularly with the general election fast approaching. He also stressed the need for the two APC chieftains to rein in their supporters, whom he described as the major cause of the crisis.
He said, “The minister and the governor were together at the recent 50th anniversary celebration of Ondo State. They were on the podium together, and the minister visited the governor at the Government House. They were visibly together. So, some people may claim they are fighting, but I have not seen anywhere that the minister directly accused the governor, or the governor directly accused the minister.
“At times, these political jobbers, who call themselves supporters, cause such issues. They must be called to order by their principals so they do not destroy the party.
“They just go out into the streets and act as they please. You cannot ascribe that to the governor or the minister — that would be wrong. I have not heard either of them say anything to that effect. However, if such a dispute exists, the national leadership should intervene and settle the matter amicably.”
Popular socialite and businessman Pascal Okechukwu, popularly known as Cubana Chief Priest, has called on the people of the South-East to support with President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 elections in order to secure the release of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu.
Reacting on Wednesday to a viral video where a South-East monarch urged the President to either release Kanu or return him to Kenya, the celebrity barman praised the monarch for taking the message directly to the seat of power.
He noted the monarch’s physical presence in Abuja was necessary to ensure the President heard the plight of the South-East.
Writing in Pidgin, Cubana Chief Priest wrote, “God bless you, Your Royal Highness for partaking in Nigeria. If Your Highness did not participate in Abuja, how Asiwaju wan take hear this message. If to say dem no record this video play for una, them for call his royal highness sell out say him don go collect money.”
He urged the region to “align” with the current administration rather than maintain a stance of opposition, saying, “Alignment is key, we no fit fight government, Asiwaju go free MNK. His Royal Highness don put am for Baba body. Let’s get along with Nigeria.”
The socialite further urged the South-East to reconsider its political stance ahead of the next elections, stating that Tinubu won the 2023 election without significant votes from the region.
Addressing the 2023 elections, he reminded his followers that President Tinubu emerged victorious without the majority of the South-East vote, suggesting that a repeat is likely in the future unless the region changes its approach.
He also suggested that active support for the current administration could be the “best stake” for the Igbo people to eventually produce a president.
He wrote, “Last election, Tinubu won without South-East, it’s clear he will win again. So why not give him the votes so he can do what we ask of him in return.
“Hopefully, he will hand over power to an Igbo man. He made Buhari president, a Hausa man. He made himself, a Yoruba man president. What makes you think he won’t make an Igbo man president if we clearly support him for one more term?
“Igbo best stake is on Asiwaju. Just think it out. Man has the best political structure in the country to win election make we no waste our votes.”
PUNCH Online reported on Tuesday that a traditional ruler from the South-East, Dr Lawrence Agubuzu, the Eze Ogbunechendo of Ezema Olo Kingdom, urged Tinubu to release Kanu, or return him to Kenya, where he was arrested, warning that his continued detention was fuelling agitation among youths in the region.
