Now that the Anambra governorship election is over

FOLLOWING the supplementary election held in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State on Tuesday, former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor and candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, was declared the state’s governor-elect by the Returning Officer, Professor Florence Obi. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared the Saturday, November 6 governorship election in the state inconclusive following its inability to conduct election in the local government on that date as a result of security concerns. The former apex bank governor won 19 out of the 21 local government areas in the state, polling a total of 112,229 votes to defeat his closest challengers, Valentine Ozigbo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who polled 53,807 votes, and Andy Uba of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who got 43,285 votes. With that victory, Soludo becomes the second CBN Governor in Nigeria’s history to emerge as the governor of a state, the first being Clement Isong, who was governor of Cross River State between 1979 and 1983.

In his acceptance speech shortly after he was declared winner on Wednesday,  Soludo dedicated his victory to the three policemen who were killed when he was attacked by gunmen in April during a town hall meeting in his hometown in Isuofia in Aguata Local Government Area of the state. Describing the election as a reflection of the people’s will, Soludo reiterated his promise to deliver the dividends of democracy to the people of the state and extended an olive branch to his co-contestants. He said: “At this moment, we must remember and must continue to remember all those who died during the course of this moment, especially the three policemen who were killed by unknown gunmen during our town hall meeting with youths in my ward. May God continue to grant their soul eternal rest.”

In his  own reaction, President Muhammadu Buhari congratulated Soludo and commended the security agencies for their determination to ensure that the election went on as smoothly as possible, and INEC for the successful conclusion of the exercise despite the initial challenges encountered. He enjoined Soludo to rally other stakeholders to tackle the enormous challenges confronting Anambra State and the South-East in general, saying that he looked forward to working with him for the peace, security and development of Anambra State and the entire country. In the spirit of sportsmanship, the candidates of other parties in the election also congratulated Soludo.

On the international scene, the United States government applauded the election, saying that the outcome reflected the will of the people. It said: “We note the tremendous challenges faced by INEC and security force personnel on the ground and commend the efforts that led to a secure election with a credible outcome. We also applaud the engagement from our civil society partners for their tireless advocacy on behalf of voters and electoral transparency. We look forward to continued improvements in the electoral process as the country heads into gubernatorial elections in Osun and Ekiti in 2022 and national elections in 2023.”

To say the least, the governorship election in Anambra State is indeed an epochal one given the bitter conflict that took place between separatist elements in the South-East and the Federal Government, and the widespread climate of insecurity, tension and fear that pervaded the state in the build-up to the exercise. It is heartwarming that voters were able to exercise their franchise despite the severe security challenges with which they had had to grapple in recent months. Now that the election is over, it is incumbent on the winner, once sworn in, to make a difference in the lives of the people who reposed so much confidence in him and voted against all odds. He must make his academic training and professional record count in advancing the fortunes of the state.

In particular, he must join his colleagues in the zone in finding a solution to the orgy of violence that has gripped the state and the South-East region as a whole, bringing the so-called “Unknown Gunmen” to a roundtable with the Federal Government in order to stem the tide of bloodshed. We take this position because no matter how lofty the ideas that he has in lifting vast populations of the state out of the morass of poverty and despondency are, they can be easily circumscribed by the climate of insecurity. The governor-elect must listen to wise counsel, including the one by the Abia League of Professional Initiative (ALPI), a group which, while urging him to reciprocate the people’s love by improving  their lots, urged him to be  guided always by the motto of his alma mater, the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, namely  “to restore the dignity of man”.

We commend the electoral commission and the security agencies on the successful conduct of the Anambra election and urge them to take valuable lessons from the exercise and improve significantly on their conduct and operations ahead of the next elections.