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The Governor-Elect and former Governor 9f Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Mr Charles Soludo, has said his victory at the polls has brought joy to the people.
Soludo, who dedicated his victory to three policemen shot dead by unknown gunmen during his campaign, stated this in his acceptance speech in front of his home and serenaded by his supporters shortly after being declared winner of the election.
Soludo, who was the apex bank governor between 2004 and 2009, was declared winner after a supplementary election was held in Ihiala Local Government Area of the state on Tuesday. He won 19 of the 21 local governments areas including Ihiala LGA.
Sixty one-year-old Soludo won with 112,229 votes, beating Valentine Ozigbo of the Peoples Democratic Party, who polled 53,807 votes, and Andy Uba of the All Progressives Congress who got 43,285 votes. Ifeanyi Ubah of the Young Progressive Party polled 21,261 votes to emerge fourth.
The Returning Officer of the Anambra Governorship Election, Prof Florence Obi, announced the result on Wednesday morning at the INEC office in Awka, Anambra State.
Mrs Obi had announced that: “Charles Chukwuma Soludo of APGA, having satisfied the requirements of the law is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected.”
Soludo said, “12 years have seen the massive clamour for the people of Anambra people for us to serve them, we persevered to this divine moment.
“This is a divine journey whose time has come.
“We have a very long list of people whom God has used to make this moment a reality.”
He thanked his followers including special recognition of the members of the disability community who made his victory a reality.
“We are humbled by the massive supports of stakeholders and Nigerian who cut across the entire country.
“Your donations and goodwill are immensely treasured.
“I thank my wife and our children for your love and sacrifice. Despite your deep reservation, you still allowed and supported me in search of the service to our people.
“As I promised I will work hard everyday in order not to disappoint you. At this moment we must remember and will continue to remember all those who died in the course of this moment expecially the three policemen who were killed by unknown gunmen during our town hall meeting with youths in my ward
“The run-up to this election and the election itself tested the resilience and the integrity of our federal institutions. Many times, there were tensions, especially as one party boasted that it must ‘take or conquer Anambra by all means’. Our institutions proved again and again that this country can achieve eminent greatness when our institutions rise to the occasion.
“Aside from the initial hitches from the operations of the BVAS machines in some places, including at my polling unit, the election has been adjudged as the most peaceful, free, fair and credible. There is joy in the land. Kudos to INEC.
“To my fellow candidates in the election, I wish to congratulate you for the gallant contest. Our people have spoken overwhelmingly and surely, that voice is the voice of God. The ultimate winner is the Anambra people. We are all winners.
“I hereby extend my hand of fellowship to all of you; I need all of you to succeed. Politics aside, we are all brothers. Let’s come together for the project, Anambra. There is enough room for everyone to contribute in the service of our homeland.”
He added that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) represented a “massive improvement” on the card readers, and urged INEC to do more to improve on the quality of elections.
