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.
The candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the August 15, Osun State Governorship poll, Bola Oyebamiji, has appealed to the electorate not sell their votes in the forthcoming poll.
Oyebamiji said rather than commercialise their vote, voters in the state should use their Permanent Voters Cards wisely and use it to elect him as governor.
The APC candidate spoke in Osogbo, on Sunday at a meeting held with the leadership and members of the Ansar-u-Deen Society in the State.
The ex-Osun State Finance Commissioner, who declared that if voted as governor, he will
redirect the state to the path of growth and development, said details of his plans had been put in a document that will guide his actions as governor.
“The PVC is an instrument that confers right on each person to have a say in deciding who leads or preside over their affairs for a stipulated period. I am appealing to our people not to commercialise their PVC but use it wisely to vote for someone that has capacity and potential to lead appropriately.
“I am assuring you all that once you vote for me, we will immediately return the state to the path of growth and development. It is in our manifesto the way we will lead you and the state to enviable heights among comity of states in the federation,” Oyebamiji said.
He urged the society to intercede for the state in prayers, adding that residents must allow peace to reign before and after the poll.
He added, “I urged you as congregation, especially religious leaders to continue to pray for peace and talk to our people to allow peace reign before and after the election in the State, nobody should be killed for the sake election.
“Our people, including politicians should please allow peace, so that our people can throng to the polling units to vote for the progress and development of Osun State.”
Earlier, the Secretary, Ansar-u-Deen Society in Osun State, Hafiz Akande, described Oyebamiji as a listening leader, a devoted family man, and a practicing Muslim who operates with the deep fear of Allah.
Akande said the society remains apolitical but will not abandon any a Muslim interested in public positions.
“Let me state clearly that as a corporate body, ADS remains non-partisan. However, the Society will never rebuke, sideline, or abandon our own who show an active interest in governance. The Society fully recognizes the need to support our members who aspire to positions of authority.
“We firmly believe that authority is a sacred trust (Amanah) from Allah, and no one attains it except by His divine permission. Therefore, it is a noble pursuit for our members to strive for leadership with sincerity and competence for the ultimate benefit of the wider society,” Akande said.
Electorate in Osun State will be going to the poll on August 15 to elect a governor in an election where the incumbent governor, Ademola Adeleke is seeking re-election on the platform of the Accord Party.
Fourteen political parties will be fielding candidates in the poll.
With the July 11, 2026 deadline for the submission of presidential nomination forms to the Independent National Electoral Commission fast approaching, political parties are running against time to beat the closing date.
The commission fixed 6pm on July 11 as the deadline for political parties to submit the nomination forms of their presidential and National Assembly candidates through its online nomination portal.
The exercise, which commenced on June 27, covers the submission of Forms EC9 and EC9A to EC9E in line with Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026.
The commission also scheduled the submission of nomination forms for governorship and state Houses of Assembly candidates to begin at 9:00 a.m. on July 18 and close at 6:00 p.m. on August 8, 2026.
According to the timetable, the personal particulars of presidential and National Assembly candidates will be published on August 1, while those of governorship and state Houses of Assembly candidates will be published on August 29.
Ahead of the elections, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, unveiled former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi as his running mate.
Similarly, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, announced a former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, as his running mate.
However, President Bola Tinubu, who is the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, is yet to formally name his running mate for the election, though there are speculations that he has settled for Vice President Kashim Shettima.
If Tinubu eventually names Shettima as his running mate, the development will settle political speculation over the APC’s presidential ticket and reaffirm the party’s decision to retain its 2023 ticket for the 2027 election.
Last year, The PUNCH had exclusively reported that there were indications that Tinubu and Shettima’s political alliance was under strain, amid reports that moves were being considered to drop the Vice President as Tinubu’s running mate for the 2027 election.
A meeting of APC North-East stakeholders in Gombe State ended in chaos, as supporters of the Vice President allegedly attacked the then party’s Zonal Vice Chairman, Mustapha Salihu.
The meeting, held at the International Conference Centre in Gombe, was initially convened to reaffirm support for Tinubu’s second-term ambition, but conspicuously made no reference to Shettima.
Tinubu secured the APC presidential ticket for the 2027 election following the nationwide primaries held on Saturday, May 23, 2026.
He officially received his Certificate of Return and the party’s flag the following day, Sunday, May 24, 2026, at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.
The President won the ticket by a landslide, securing nearly 11 million votes to defeat his sole challenger, Stanley Osifo.
He has, however, yet to announce his running mate, as his choice is being closely watched.
The APC has, however, maintained that the decision rests with the President.
Of the major presidential candidates, only Tinubu and Sandy Onor of the Peoples Democratic Party are yet to announce their respective running mates.
Highly placed party sources, who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss the matter publicly, also disclosed that the APC had submitted the Senate nomination forms of Governors AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq (Kwara), Mai Mala Buni (Yobe) and Hope Uzodimma (Imo) to INEC’s portal.
Placeholder possibility
While details of all presidential candidates and their running mates are expected to be submitted to INEC on or before July 11, the commission’s timetable also provides August 22 for the withdrawal and replacement of presidential and National Assembly candidates.
Similarly, candidates for governorship and state Houses of Assembly have until September 19 for withdrawal and substitution.
Accordingly, the APC may submit Tinubu’s name and forms alongside a placeholder running mate, who can later be replaced with the substantive nominee before the August 22 deadline.
The PUNCH recalls that ahead of the 2023 election, precisely in June 2022, Tinubu, after winning the party’s ticket, submitted the name of Ibrahim Masari as his “placeholder” vice-presidential candidate to INEC.
This tactical placeholder strategy allowed the APC to meet strict nomination deadlines while Tinubu continued consultations to select a substantive running mate.
Masari formally stepped down as the vice-presidential nominee in July 2022, as his withdrawal paved the way for Tinubu to name Shettima as his substantive running mate, in a strategic decision aimed at bolstering the party’s support in the northern regions.
Following Tinubu’s victory, the Katsina-born politician transitioned into the presidency as a close political ally, as the President appointed him as his Senior Special Assistant on Political Matters in 2023 and subsequently promoted him to Special Adviser on Political Affairs.
The APC source said the party’s leaders and stakeholders were working round the clock to ensure all its candidates’ nomination forms were uploaded before the commission’s deadline.
He stated, “We have covered a lot of ground. The uploading of the candidate list is going as planned. All party leaders and stakeholders saddled with this responsibility are doing their work round the clock. So far, we have been able to upload quite a number of House of Representatives candidates.
“The nomination details of nearly all the party’s principal officers in the 10th National Assembly, along with those of prominent serving lawmakers, have been uploaded.
“We have also uploaded the list of senatorial candidates to the INEC portal. We have uploaded that of the governor of Kwara State. We have uploaded that of the governor of Imo State, and that of the governor of Yobe State has also been uploaded, along with other senatorial candidates.”
Another highly placed source also confirmed that the exercise has progressed smoothly without any setbacks, describing the entire process as orderly, seamless, transparent, and completely hitch-free from the outset.
He stated, “So, the exercise has been hitch-free, and we are hopeful that before the deadline, which is July 11th, we will be able to upload that of the President and his running mate.
“That is perhaps going to be the last to be uploaded. But we are going to complete this exercise before the 11th of this month.
“The APC is a focused party that is doing everything to play by the book, ensure that we comply with the INEC timetable, ensure that our members are duly captured, and give the best to Nigerians.”
ADC, NDC sorted
Earlier, there had been reports from the ADC and NDC that the party had uploaded the names of their presidential candidates and respective running mates.
While the NDC national leader, Seriake Dickson, announced that Obi’s name and his running mate, Kwankwaso, had been uploaded on the INEC portal, the spokesman for the ADC, Bolaji Abdullahi, also confirmed that Atiku and Amaechi’s names had been uploaded on the electoral commission’s portal.
PDP uploads candidates
In a related development, the PDP says it has uploaded about 60 per cent of its National Assembly candidates on the INEC portal, with efforts ongoing to complete the process.
PDP National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature, who disclosed this in an exclusive interview with The PUNCH, said out of 100 senatorial and 360 House of Representatives candidates, about 169 entries are still pending due to late submission of documents, adding that the exercise was expected to be concluded by Wednesday.
He stated, “We have completed about 60 per cent of the National Assembly candidate uploads. Efforts are currently ongoing to wrap up the process, as we are still awaiting some candidates to submit their forms for upload.
“Out of 100 senatorial candidates and 360 House of Representatives candidates, approximately 169 entries are yet to be uploaded. This delay is largely due to the late submission of documents by some candidates.
“However, the process is progressing smoothly, with uploads being carried out daily as documents are received. The exercise is expected to be fully concluded by Wednesday.
“Overall, the party remains committed to ensuring that all eligible candidates are captured accurately and within the stipulated timeframe to meet the electoral timetable.”
The Leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, has hinted on the emergence of a new Vice President, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, and Senate President.
Primate Ayodele also warned of underground plans to rig the 2027 general elections.
He disclosed this during the release of the 32nd edition of his annual prophecy book, ‘Warnings To The Nations’.
The presentation was done during a world press conference on Saturday at his Lagos headquarters church.
According to Primate Ayodele: “I foresee a new Vice President, a new Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Senate President and a new Federal Minister.
“I foresee a lot of underground plans to rig the 2027 elections. I foresee a former Head of State will not support Tinubu.”
The popular Nigerian prophet also disclosed that the North would be angry with President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 elections.
He warned that Tinubu’s victory in the 2027 elections is not yet certain, stressing that a lot of Nigerians will rise up against him.
“The Northern parts of the country will be angry with Tinubu. The ruling party will be struggling to sustain their federal or the seat at the Centre.
“I foresee that the Tinubu victory is not yet certain except Tinubu takes a bold step.
“A lot of people will rise up against Tinubu. Tinubu will want to do last minute changes even of the Service Chiefs,” he said.
The clergyman further disclosed that Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State will win the forthcoming governorship election in the state.
