Joint image of Chukwuma Soludo and Peter Obi

Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo has declared that the outcome of Saturday’s by-elections in the state proves that the Labour Party (LP) and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) are “dead” and “non-existent” in Anambra.

Soludo made the remarks on Sunday at a victory celebration in Nanka, where he joined members of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) to mark the party’s sweeping win in the polls.

The governor, who addressed cheering supporters adorned in APGA paraphernalia, said the ADC coalition backed by former Anambra governor and Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, had attempted to use the elections as a popularity test but failed.

According to Soludo, APGA secured overwhelming victories, with results showing over 75 per cent voter support across the constituencies. He described the performance as an emphatic rejection of what he called an “allied force” of opposition politicians.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared APGA’s Emmanuel Nwachukwu winner of the Anambra South Senatorial District by-election. Nwachukwu polled 90,408 votes, defeating Azuka Okwuosa of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who scored 19,847 votes, and ADC’s Donald Amangbo, who garnered 2,889 votes. Nwachukwu now replaces Ifeanyi Ubah, the late Anambra South senator who died in July 2024.

Similarly, APGA’s Ifeoma Azikiwe won the Onitsha North Constituency 1 seat in the Anambra State House of Assembly. The constituency, which is home to Peter Obi, was one of the opposition’s major battlegrounds.

Soludo maintained that despite the involvement of several high-profile opposition figures, including senators and federal lawmakers, APGA’s dominance in the polls underscored the weakness of the Labour Party and ADC in the state.

The governor, a former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) chief, is seeking re-election on the APGA platform in the November 8, 2025, governorship election. He recently met with President Bola Tinubu in Abuja, reaffirming his long-standing friendship with the president.