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By Uche Ifediba
The November 8 governorship election in Anambra State once again offers the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) another crucial opportunity through the new Chairman of the electoral body, Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan, to shape the future of the state for either better or worse. It becomes imperative because his predecessors on assumption of office vowed to deliver free, fair and transparent polls, but they disappointed the electorate hence President Bola Ahmed Tinubu during the swearing-in of Prof. Amupitan as the new INEC Chairman gave him marching orders to ensure that Anambra governorship poll is credible.
While no one sets out to make a bad choice, it often happens unintentionally. A poor decision at the polls typically results from a complex interplay between voter naivety, political gimmicks, and the atmosphere under which elections are conducted. Candidates will flood the airwaves with promises, many exaggerated or outright false, leaving voters to sift through the truth, half-truths, and lies.
Today, several men and women present themselves before us, seeking the mandate to lead the state. Fortunately, Anambra is not an easy prey, having a relatively enlightened and independent-minded electorate. We must, as usual, engage the contestants through principled assessment of each candidate’s competence. We should cast sentiment aside and choose the best among them. This requires carefully evaluating candidates beyond their campaign rhetoric. What are their track records? For those who haven’t held any public office before, can they truly be trusted to outperform someone already delivering results?
What Anambra really needs now and always is progressive leadership: one that prioritizes freedom, security, prosperity, and sustainable development. We need a leader that envisions and executes transformative projects, leaving lasting legacies.
This brings us to Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, a leader whose first term has transformed Anambra into a massive development hub. He has implemented bold, pragmatic policies rooted in deep economic insight, social justice, and fiscal discipline.
As a first-class Economics professor, a former Chief Executive of the National Planning Commission and former Central Bank Governor, Prof. Soludo brings a rare combination of experience and expertise to governance. He feels the pulse of the people, understands their needs and applies the appropriate interventionist Solution. He doesn’t just solve today’s problems; he anticipates tomorrow’s and proactively addresses them. His governance style is classless—engaging rich and poor, urban and rural, distributing projects equitably across all parts of the state.
Day and night the governor worries over ways in which he could better things for his people. His manifold achievements yield the explanation. In the health sector, Soludo has done within 3 years what no other Anambra governor has ever done. He built five new general hospitals, upgraded three, employed over 1,000 healthcare workers, and offers free antenatal and delivery services. In the education sector, he also did what has never been done in the state: introduced free primary and secondary education, leading to unprecedented high rise in primary and secondary school enrolment. He recruited 8,115 teachers from 18 states through a competitive and transparent process, ending the chronic teacher shortage, to mention but a few.
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The Governor’s commitment to welfare and security is also unmatched. He cleared four years of unpaid gratuities, implemented an N82,000 minimum wage, increased pensions, empowered thousands of women, rescued vulnerable children, and arrested perpetrators of gender-based violence. Security has greatly improved through the tech-driven Agunechemba outfit, restoring investor confidence and community safety.
In infrastructure, his government has awarded and completed so many roads, and built seven bridges—including two iconic flyovers. His historic urban regeneration programme is turning Anambra into a smart, livable, and tourism-driven economy. The state capital, Awka, is fast emerging as a beautiful modern city, with the Solution Fun City now West Africa’s largest leisure destination. A proven leader with unmatched results, Soludo also broke a 33-year jinx by establishing a permanent Government House and Secretariat Complex—complete with Governor’s Lodge, Deputy Governor’s Complex, Banquet Hall, Presidential Lodge, and an 8-lane boulevard – feats that before now had been thought impossible.
Unlike some who view second term as a time to relax or loot, Soludo’s current initiatives—particularly the ambitious railway, road dualisation and several other ongoing hectic projects—are structured to span far into his next term. So, fresh hope surges as we savour a foretaste of what to expect. Always going at full speed, no dull moment is anticipated in his Second Term. Electing an incompetent candidate or someone who may proceed blindly and gropingly would disrupt ongoing projects, harming host communities and setting the state back significantly.
In Anambra, Governor Soludo is widely admired for his ability to handle multiple vital projects simultaneously—without borrowing a kobo. His extraordinary work ethic and performance earned him the title “Oluatuegwu”. Despite overseeing massive infrastructure projects, he continues to push boundaries—talking about a railway and a new airport within an aerotropolis in Ndikelionwu. Truly, the title fits.
National and international organizations have equally recognized Gov. Soludo’s outstanding performance. In just three years, he has received multiple Governor of the Year awards from The Sun Newspaper (2024), Vanguard Newspaper and Daily Independent Newspaper. These awards acknowledge his transformative impact on infrastructure, governance, and economic growth.
Anambra State under his leadership has also earned several top-tier recognitions: Best State in Digital Technology, Best in Digital Infrastructure Development, Best Local Government Service Commission, Lowest Out-of-School Children Rate in Nigeria – UNESCO, 2024, and Best Performing State in Primary Healthcare Delivery – awarded with a $1.2 million grant by the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, UNICEF, UNESCO, Federal Ministry of Health, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Aliko Dangote Foundation
To cap it up, at the September 2025 Global Power Forum during the 80th United Nations General Assembly in New York, Soludo received triple international honours: African Public Service Excellence Award, African Governor of the Year Award, and Special Commendation from the South Carolina House of Representatives (USA). These are not just local endorsements but global affirmations of excellence.
It is clear that Soludo is not just performing—he’s setting the pace, and Anambra is winning. This momentum must not be interrupted. Therefore, let us vote him again.
