Adeleke congratulates Soludo, urges respect for voters’ choice

Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has congratulated the Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, on his victory at the governorship polls.

He asserted that the “people’s will, as expressed through the ballot boxes, should always be respected.”

In a statement issued on Monday and signed by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, the governor described Soludo’s re-election as a reflection of his performance and the people’s confidence in his leadership.

“I warmly rejoice with my brother, Prof. Soludo. His re-election is a reflection of his good performance in the last four or so years and the deep love the people of Anambra have for him, his style of governance, and his service to the people.

The outcome is a confirmation that free and fair elections are possible when true democrats superintend the electoral process,” the governor said.

Soludo was on Sunday declared the winner of the Saturday, 8 November 2025, Anambra State governorship election by the Returning Officer of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Edoba Omoregie.

“As we have always canvassed, the bedrock of a sustainable democracy is free and fair elections where the choices of voters are respected.

We must sustain the tempo by ensuring that electoral robbery is outlawed for the sake of our democracy. We must sanction any politician threatening to or engaging in electoral robbery.

“Power flows from the people. The people reserve the right to pick their leaders. That is what we call democracy, a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. Democracy is not voters’ intimidation, vote rigging, electoral violence, and thuggery in all forms.

“Democracy is about ballot papers, ballot boxes, and a free environment for the citizens to cast their votes. You cannot force yourself on the people in a democracy. The people are the bosses, and they choose who presides over the affairs of their states.

“I also commend the leadership of the electoral commission under Prof. Amupitan. This is a commendable start to his tenure as electoral chief. The nation expects much, and we urge the commission to further deepen electoral reforms to resolve outstanding areas of challenge,” the statement further quoted Adeleke as saying.

Adeleke noted that every stage in the electoral life of a nation is about history-making, urging “the political class to recommit to electoral transparency and accountability as a mark of respect for the constitution and the people.”

Soludo polled a total of 422,664 votes, defeating his closest rival, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Nicholas Ukachukwu, who scored 99,445 votes, while the candidate of the Young Progressives Party, Sir Paul Chukwuma, came third with 37,753 votes.