As the November 8, 2025 Anambra governorship election draws nearer, three major political parties—All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), All Progressives Congress (APC), and the Labour Party—have concluded their primaries and presented their flag-bearers.
Incumbent Governor of Anambra State, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, emerged unopposed as the APGA candidate during the party’s primary held at the Alex Ekwueme Square in Awka on Saturday. The exercise, attended by over 3,260 delegates, also reaffirmed Dr Onyekachi Ibezim as his running mate.
Addressing the gathering, Soludo expressed gratitude for the confidence reposed in him and promised not to disappoint. He said the 2025 governorship election would once again be an opportunity for APGA to show its strength and continue what he described as progressive leadership.
“We as a party have grown from strength to strength. We are the first registered progressive party in Nigeria and our people have taken APGA as their own. Anambra is APGA and APGA is Anambra,” Soludo declared.
He further said, “I want to say that I am humbled by this historic display of solidarity to be able to fly the flag of our party again, and I want to say that I accept this nomination wholeheartedly.”
Meanwhile, in the All Progressives Congress, Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu clinched the party’s ticket after a competitive primary that ended on Sunday. The exercise was marred at the beginning by violence and confusion during the accreditation process, leading to the withdrawal of some aspirants including Chukwuma Umeoji, Sir Paul Chukwuma, and Prof. Obiora Okonkwo. At the end, five aspirants remained in the race.
Ukachukwu secured a decisive victory, defeating his closest rival, Valentine Ozigbo, who polled 67 votes. Other results showed Johnbosco Onunkwo with 26 votes, Edozie Madu with eight votes, while 26 votes were declared invalid. The total outcome was announced by the Chairman of the APC Electoral Committee, Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River State.
In his acceptance speech, Ukachukwu appreciated President Bola Tinubu for promoting internal democracy within the APC and commended all stakeholders involved in the process. He called for unity among APC members ahead of the Anambra 2025 governorship election.
Anambra Primaries
“I call on my fellow contestants to unite and rally around my candidacy. The most important thing now is to deliver Anambra to the APC,” he said.
Highlighting his long-standing influence in the state politics, Ukachukwu added, “I have been instrumental in the emergence of successive governors in Anambra over the years. I have played the role of a godfather, but now, I am ready to father myself.”
On the Labour Party side, George Moughalu, a former Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority, won the party’s ticket. The primary was held at Finotel Hotel in Awka and monitored by INEC and other observers. Moughalu scored 573 votes, defeating his only challenger, John Nwosu, who received 19 votes. Out of 649 delegates, 601 were accredited and 592 valid votes were cast.
In his acceptance remarks, Moughalu described the Labour Party as a force ready to transform Anambra. He pledged to promote the party’s vision across the state and work toward rebuilding its economy and institutions if elected.
“I thank the party for ensuring a level playing field. And I thank the people for the confidence they repose in the party. We must set our agenda and ensure it reaches all the nooks and crannies of the state,” Moughalu said.
He added, “Anambra is a blessed state, it is not lacking in human and natural resources. All we need to do is to ensure a level playing field by harnessing the potential for the good of the state.”
The Labour Party’s Returning Officer, Bennett Etanabena, praised the peaceful conduct of the election and expressed optimism about the party’s chances in the upcoming Anambra 2025 governorship election.
“Anambra is a Labour Party state; we have two senators already and available statistics indicate that Anambra is destined to produce the next President come 2027 and by virtue of that, this state will surely produce the next governor,” he said.
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Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) postponed its primary to Tuesday, April 8. Speaking to journalists in Awka, the Anambra PDP Chairman, Chidi Chidebe, said the postponement was approved by the party’s national secretariat to complete important administrative procedures.
“Our primary election will now be held on Tuesday, April 8. With the confusion in other parties, it’s clear that PDP is not the problem,” Chidebe said.
