Anambra State Governor Willie Obiano has described the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) candidate, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo’s victory at the governorship election as voters’ parting gift to him.
The governor stated this in a broadcast yesterday in Aguleri, his home town.
Obiano hailed the women from Ebenebe community in Awka North Local Government Area for allegedly rejecting N5,000 bribe from one of the political parties to vote against the APGA candidate.
He said: “Umu nnem, the outcome of this gubernatorial election presents hope and a new beginning for our dear state. For the second time in the last four years, Ndi Anambra boldly chose to stand on the side of positive history.
“Fellow citizens, this sweet victory belong to you. It belongs to that courageous woman in Ebenebe, who turned down the N5,000 bribe for her vote because she knew that though money could buy her temporary relief, but Anambra would be a better place, if she voted according to her conscience.”
Thanking the party’s chieftains, he also said: “My gratitude also goes to the Nigerian Police, the Army, the Navy and all the security agencies for providing a watertight security to ensure a peaceful election.”
Soludo: my victory by-product of 12 years’ relentless struggle
Soludo said yesterday that his victory is “a by-product” of 12 years of relentless political struggle.
He stated this in an acceptance speech after his declaration by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the winner of the poll.
“For 12 years since the massive clamour by the people of Anambra for us to serve them, we persevered to this divine moment.
“This is a divine journey, whose time has come. To God be all the glory and adoration,” the former Central Bank (CBN) governor stated.
He added: “God was behind my victory. With utmost humility and gratitude to God, I accept the results of the 2021 Anambra governorship election as declared by INEC.”
APGA postpones victory dance over sit-at-home
Despite the declaration of Soludo as the winner of the election, there’s no celebration of any sort in the state yet.
The reason, according to APGA chieftains, was because of the sit-at-home order by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
Speaking with our correspondent yesterday, the Chairman of Soludo’s 24 Support Groups, Sir Jude Emecheta, said security situation in the state would not allow such celebration at this period.
For Chief Obi Ochije, the special Assistant to Obiano on Awka Community, the reason was the sit-at-home directive from IPOB.
Buhari congratulates governor-elect
President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday congratulated the Anambra State governor-elect over his victory in the just-concluded governorship election.
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, President Buhari also commended all stakeholders, who played roles in the successful conduct of the election, especially the security agencies and INEC.
The President, who expressed eagerness to work with the new governor-elect in his soon-to-be-assumed role, urged him to work with other stakeholders to tackle the challenges facing the state and the Southeast region.
Minister of Labour and Employment Senator Chris Ngige said he had no doubt that Anambra people have made an excellent choice by voting for the APGA candidate.
In a congratulatory message from his Media Office in Abuja, the minister said Prof. Soludo’s victory was well-deserved.
Ngige congratulated the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), stating the people of the state have spoken.
Speaker of the House of Representatives Femi Gbajabiamila has congratulated Soludo on his victory.
In a congratulatory letter, Gbajabiamila also congratulated the people of the state on the successful conduct of the election. The Speaker said with Soludo’s antecedents as an accomplished professional, he believed the Anambra governor-elect would bring his experience and expertise to bear.
Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi yesterday called on the APGA candidate Soludo to be magnanimous towards other contenders.
Fayemi, in a congratulatory message by his Chief Press Secretary, Yinka Oyebode, said with the conclusion of the poll, the contestants should work together for the overall development of the state.
The Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) said democracy was the real winner at the Anambra election with the successful conduct of the process, saying the will of the people, which was expressed through the ballot box, has prevailed.
He expressed confidence that Ekiti State governorship election, which is the next in the series of elections to be conducted, will witness a peaceful and transparent organization as seen in Anambra.
Obi: support in-coming governor
Former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi, in a statement, said: “I congratulate Prof. Soludo on winning the gubernatorial election.
“I thank Anambrarians, who braved all odds and came out to perform their civic duties. I urge them to support the in-coming governor through prayers and other legitimate means to see that Anambra returns to her former glory as the ‘Light of the Nation’,” he said.
Ozigbo, Ubah greet governor-elect
People’s Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in the just concluded governorship election Mr. Valentine Ozigbo and his Young Progressives Party (YPP) candidate, Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, have sent congratulatory message to the winner of the poll.
But Ozigbo, in his statement yesterday in Awka, was not happy with the role played by the INEC and the security operatives, who were brought for the election
Ozigbo said the election was fraught with a lot of short comings on the part of various government institutions
“I have just called Prof. Soludo and congratulated him on being declared the winner of the Anambra State governorship elections, 2021. I wished him well and prayed for his success.”
Ubah, in a statement in Abuja, said he would not challenge the results of the election in any court. He called on his supporters as well as other contestants in the election to support Soludo in the task of moving the state forward.
Ohanaeze hails winner, President, INEC
Apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has congratulated Soludo on his “well-deserved victory” as the governor-elect.
The organisation also hailed President Buhari and the INEC for transparency, non-interference and upholding the will of the good people of Anambra State.
Olawepo-Hashim: president created atmosphere for victory
An APC chieftain Mr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim said the emergence of Soludo as the governor-elect should be credited to President Buhari’s administration.
He noted: “A lot of credit must also go to President Muhammadu Buhari, who has created the atmosphere for non-interference in INEC’s conduct of increasingly more transparent elections since his second term mandate.”
The 2019 presidential candidate, in a statement, maintained that the victory also belongs to Anambra State and Nigeria.
“Our dear country Nigeria is the biggest winner. Glory to God as the country has again proved prophets of doom wrong,” he said.
Olawepo-Hashim enjoined the former CBN governor, to “as soon as he is sworn in, hit the ground running to deliver on his campaign promises”.
The Biafran leader’s wife, Mrs. Bianca Ojukwu, has lauded the Anambra people for keeping faith with her husband’s legacy by voting the APGA’s candidate.
Bianca, who had on the eve of the election invoked the spirit of her late husband to lead APGA into victory, expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the election, hailing residents for making it violence-free.
She said this in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Awka, thanking party supporters and the Anambra residents for their support.
