The Peoples Democratic Get together (PDP) candidate within the 2025 Anambra governorship election, Jude Ezenwafor, has congratulated Governor Charles Soludo on his victory in Saturday’s ballot.
Mr Ezenwafor spoke when he appeared as a visitor on Channels TV’s Dawn Each day on Monday.
PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that the INEC Returning Officer, Edoba Omoregie, mentioned Mr Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance scored 422,664 votes to defeat his closest rival, Nicholas Ukachukwu of the APC, who polled 99,445 votes.
The Younger Progressives Get together candidate, Paul Chukwuma, got here third with 37,753 votes, whereas his counterpart from the Labour Get together, George Moghalu, was fourth, with 10,576 votes.
‘I agree with the end result of the election’
Talking on the TV programme, Mr Ezenwafor mentioned he agreed with the election outcomes declared by INEC on Sunday.
“I fairly agree with the INEC on the outcomes of what transpired. And I congratulate my buddy, Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, on his landmark victory,” he mentioned.
The PDP candidate defended the end result of Saturday’s election and argued that the ADC candidate, John Chuma-Nwosu, and the Labour Get together candidate, George Moghalu, who alleged rigging within the ballot, have been solely expressing their “private opinions.”
“Anambra folks have spoken; we’ll enable Governor Soludo to complete his 4 years,” he mentioned.
Working with Soludo
Maupe Ogun-Yusuf, the programme anchor, requested Mr Ezenwafor if he was suggesting that he was keen to work with Mr Soludo within the state.
“I can help him (Soludo). I’ve been helping him earlier than; he’s my buddy. I introduced him to work in Anambra.
“I satisfied Soludo to contest the election within the first occasion after I was senior particular assistant to (the speedy previous) Governor Willie Obiano. He (Soludo) got here, he did effectively,” he responded.
‘Why I carried out poorly within the ballot’
In the course of the TV programme, Mr Ezenwafor, who got here in a distant sixth place within the election with 1,401 votes, claimed that he carried out poorly within the ballot as a result of reported assault on him and alleged betrayal by the management of the PDP.
He mentioned after the assault, he was hospitalised for 3 months in Abuja and solely left the hospital to grasp that he had been allegedly betrayed by the PDP management forward of the ballot.
“Earlier than I got here in (to Anambra from the Abuja hospital), they’d purchased all my (PDP state) executives.
“The state executives have been even working for an additional occasion. Every little thing I deliberate and set in movement was (destroyed). There was large betrayal from the state PDP executives and some from the nationwide,” he mentioned.
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The candidate claimed that even his occasion brokers throughout Saturday’s ballot “have been taken by the state executives to work for an additional occasion.”
Mr Ezenwafor argued that, with the alleged betrayal within the PDP, he couldn’t have efficiently challenged Messrs Soludo and Ukachukwu, who he mentioned have been extra united of their political events in Anambra.
‘Soludo is doing effectively on safety’
The PDP candidate hailed Mr Soludo’s efforts in combating insecurity in Anambra State.
“What they (safety chiefs in Anambra) want is best gear, and insecurity shall be a factor of the previous,” he mentioned.
He suggested Mr Soludo to prioritise an inclusive authorities for the state’s progress.
“I’ll advise Governor Chukwuma Soludo to run an inclusive authorities in order that Anambra shall be very protected and affluent,” he said.
