As Anambra State heads toward a pivotal governorship election on November 8, 2025, political activities are in full swing. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has cleared candidates from multiple political parties, each bringing unique backgrounds, leadership styles, and visions for the future of the state.

From political veterans to entrepreneurs and first-time contenders, here are the 13 major candidates seeking to unseat Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo in what promises to be a fiercely contested race.

1. Paul Chukwuma (YPP)

Paul Chukwuma, founder of Olivia University in Burundi and Pro-Chancellor of Benue State University, is the Young Progressives Party (YPP) candidate. A lawyer and former National Auditor of the ruling party, Chukwuma is known for his administrative and academic leadership experience. An ex-seminarian, he brings a blend of discipline, intellect, and governance expertise to the race.

2. Ezenwafor Jude (PDP)

Ezenwafor Jude, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is a real estate developer and trade consultant. He emerged as the PDP flag-bearer unopposed, receiving unanimous endorsement from 853 delegates. With extensive experience in governance, advisory roles, and global trade diplomacy, Ezenwafor promises to leverage economic partnerships to strengthen Anambra’s growth.

3. Geoffrey Onyejegbu (NNPP)

A retired Colonel in the Nigerian Army, Geoffrey Onyejegbu represents the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP). He previously contested for the APC ticket in 2021 and later joined the Allied Peoples Movement (APM). His campaign emphasizes discipline, leadership, and security reform in Anambra.

4. Moghalu Nnadubem (LP)

Representing the Labour Party (LP), Moghalu Nnadubem hails from Nnewi North LGA. A seasoned technocrat, he once served as Director-General of the Bureau of Cooperatives and Rural Development in Abia State and later as Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA). He also founded the Zimuzo Development Foundation, focused on community development.

5. Chukwurah Vincent (SDP)

Vincent Chukwurah, candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), was born in 1954 in Anambra State. He holds a general high school diploma and previously ran for the Idemili North/Idemili South House of Representatives seat in 2023. His political agenda centers on grassroots empowerment and social reform.

6. Onyeze Charles (Accord)

Onyeze Charles, a philanthropist and businessman, was declared unopposed as the Accord Party candidate during the party’s primary election in Awka. Known for his charitable work in Anambra, Onyeze campaigns on transparent governance and social equity.

7. Nweke Japhet (AA)

Nweke Japheth, the Action Alliance (AA) candidate, emerged through an Option A4 voting system, securing 58 delegate votes. He is the Chairman/CEO of Blue Shield Security Company Limited, emphasizing job creation, youth empowerment, and security reform as the cornerstones of his campaign.

8. Ifemeludike Chioma (TSA)

Ifemeludike Chioma, the youngest governorship candidate, represents The Salvation Army (TSA) party. A graduate of Anambra State University (now COOU), she studied Political Science and was active in student leadership and civil rights advocacy. Her campaign promotes youth inclusion, women empowerment, and transparent governance.

9. Nwosu Chuma (ADC)

Chuma Nwosu, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, is an economist and computer technologist from Nnewi. As CEO of Jetlink Group Ltd., an ICT firm with operations in Nigeria, Ghana, and Liberia, he advocates for digital transformation and private-sector-driven governance in Anambra.

10. Otti Echezona (APM)

Otti Echezona, candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), has a background in public administration and technical education. Aged 66, his campaign focuses on rural infrastructure, education reform, and value-based leadership.

11. Nweke Chukwudubem (APP)

Nweke Christopher Chukwudubem is the Action Peoples Party (APP) candidate, with Okeke Blessing Ebele as his running mate. His campaign stresses participatory governance and local economic development.

12. Okeke Jerry (Independent Candidate)

Okeke Jerry, from Ezinifite in Aguata LGA, studied Civil Engineering at IMT Enugu and Geological Science at UNIZIK. He later earned degrees in Linguistics, Law, and Public Administration.
As the founder of Edumail Publications Ltd., he has produced over 100 storybooks, 20 books, and 25 workbooks widely used in Nigerian schools, including NECO-approved materials. His campaign emphasizes education reform, literacy, and moral leadership.

13. Ukachukwu Nicholas (APC)

Ukachukwu Nicholas, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, is a businessman and politician from Osumenyi, Anambra State. Founder of SNECOU Group Limited, his conglomerate operates in oil and gas, real estate, agriculture, and media. A former Chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) and House of Representatives member (1999–2003), Ukachukwu is positioning himself as a reform-minded candidate focused on economic growth and infrastructural renewal.

The Road Ahead

With 13 candidates from across the political spectrum, the Anambra 2025 governorship election promises a dynamic contest of ideas, experience, and political will. As campaigns intensify, voters are expected to weigh candidates’ track records, credibility, and capacity to continue or redefine the development path of the Soludo administration.

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Members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday staged a peaceful protest at the United States Embassy in Abuja, calling for international intervention to safeguard Nigeria’s democracy.

The protesters urged the global community to help prevent the country from sliding into what they described as a one party state.

During the demonstration, the PDP members carried placards and chanted solidarity songs, demanding fairness, transparency, and respect for democratic institutions.

They also submitted protest letters to officials at the US Embassy, the European Union Delegation Complex, and the Federal Ministry of Justice in Abuja.

As of the time of filing this report, officials from the affected institutions have yet to issue a public response to the PDP’s petition.

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Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani has made history as the newly elected Mayor of New York City, winning by a landslide and setting the stage for a political showdown with U.S. President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly attacked him as a “little Communist.”

Mamdani, 34, will take office on January 1, becoming one of the most left-leaning figures ever to lead America’s largest city. Here are five things to know about his victory and what lies ahead for his administration.

1. Landslide Victory

Mamdani secured over one million votes, winning 50 percent of ballots cast compared to his closest rival, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who earned just under 42 percent. The election saw the highest voter turnout since 1969.

His campaign’s vast grassroots network of 100,000 volunteers reached every borough and community, running on a message of economic equality, affordable housing, and public welfare.

“We have toppled a political dynasty,” Mamdani said, referencing the end of the Cuomo family’s decades-long influence in New York politics.

2. Trump on the Horizon

Mamdani’s outspoken criticism of President Trump’s policies has already drawn sharp rebukes from the White House. The president has threatened to cut off federal funding to New York and labeled Mamdani “a little Communist.”

Mamdani previously urged Americans to “reject Trump’s fascism”, signaling that his tenure could bring renewed political tension between City Hall and Washington.

3. Time to Prepare

With less than two months before taking office, Mamdani must assemble a capable team to deliver on his ambitious progressive agenda including city-run supermarkets, free daycare, and fare-free bus routes.

He has already appointed five women to co-chair his transition team, including Maria Torres-Springer, who resigned as deputy mayor under outgoing Mayor Eric Adams due to his engagement with Trump.

Political analysts say he will need a savvy cabinet capable of navigating both City Hall and Albany, especially as the city faces threats of federal funding cuts and a possible loss of food assistance for 1.8 million residents amid a government shutdown.

“His vision for New York is not crazy,” said Lincoln Mitchell, a Columbia University politics professor. “It’s filling in the gaps in our tattered social safety net.”

4. Jewish Outreach

New York, home to the largest Jewish community outside Israel, has seen a surge in antisemitic incidents, with 57 percent of hate crimes in the city targeting Jewish people, according to outgoing Mayor Adams.

Mamdani faced criticism from pro-Israel groups over his support for Palestinian rights and his condemnation of Israel’s actions in Gaza, which he described as “a genocide.” The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has announced plans to monitor his policies closely.

In his victory speech, Mamdani pledged to stand “steadfast alongside Jewish New Yorkers” and confront antisemitism head-on, while insisting the ADL’s scrutiny must be “honest and fair.”

5. End of an Era

Mamdani’s triumph marks the end of an era in New York politics, sidelining both Andrew Cuomo and Eric Adams, and signaling a leftward shift for the Democratic Party.

Backed by Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Mamdani’s insurgent campaign energized young voters and working-class communities, promising a fresh, inclusive approach to governance.

“This is not just a political win,” he said. “It’s a mandate for a fairer, freer New York.”

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The Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi, has expressed deep concern over the recent pronouncement by the United States government declaring Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) and hinting at possible military intervention.

Obi, in a statement shared on his verified social media handles, said the development should worry every well-meaning Nigerian, noting that the nation is currently facing an unprecedented level of insecurity leading to widespread loss of lives and property.

“According to Amnesty International, over 10,000 people have been killed in Nigeria since May 2023, and as I have repeatedly lamented, the unwarranted and unprovoked killing of Nigerians is most condemnable. All efforts must be made to bring it to a stop,” Obi said.

He stressed that the deteriorating security situation was largely avoidable with competent and responsible leadership.

“While the insecurity did not start with the present government, what is most unfortunate is the lack and absence of competence, commitment, prudent use of resources, patriotism and passion on the part of the APC-led government to effectively govern, galvanise and lead Nigeria where no one is unwarrantedly oppressed and killed—a nation where peace, truth, and justice reign,” Obi added.

The former Anambra State governor also underscored the importance of maintaining strong diplomatic relations between Nigeria and the United States, describing both nations as longstanding strategic partners in promoting peace and security across the region.

“That relationship should not falter. The present situation calls for constructive diplomatic and other plausible engagements by both nations aimed at addressing the prevailing and disturbing security concerns. Both countries must work in concert and expeditiously towards that purpose,” he said.

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The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has suspended four of its top national officers, including the National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, and the National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN), amid rising tension within the party’s leadership.

The suspension, which is for one month, also affects the Deputy Legal Adviser, Okechukwu Osuoha, and the National Organising Secretary, Umaru Bature.

PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, confirmed the development in a statement issued on Saturday after an emergency NWC meeting held at the party’s Legacy House headquarters in Maitama, Abuja.

According to Ologunagba, the decision was made in line with the party’s constitution and followed a review of recent developments, including a court order halting the PDP’s planned national convention.

“The NWC, in line with the party’s constitution, came to the following conclusion: the National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN); Deputy Legal Adviser, Okechukwu Osuoha; National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu; and National Organizing Secretary, Umaru Bature, have been suspended for one month and referred to the PDP Disciplinary Committee,” Ologunagba said.

The latest action marks a deepening crisis within the main opposition party, coming just hours after it openly rejected a Federal High Court judgment restraining it from holding its planned national convention in Ibadan, Oyo State capital.

On Friday, Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, barred the PDP from proceeding with the convention scheduled for November 15 and 16, pending the determination of a suit challenging the legality of the exercise.

In a swift reaction, the PDP had described the ruling as “an assault on Nigeria’s democratic process,” vowing to proceed with all internal activities leading up to the convention.

“The judgment of the court does not vitiate our ability to proceed with the processes and activities towards the National Convention to elect new national officers to pilot the affairs of the party for the next four years,” the party’s spokesperson insisted in a statement titled “PDP Planned National Convention Not Vitiated by Court.”

Ologunagba further cited a recent Supreme Court judgment affirming the supremacy of political parties in the management of their internal affairs, stressing that the PDP remains guided by its constitution.

“Our party notes the recent judgment of the Supreme Court which affirms the supremacy of a political party in managing its internal affairs,” he added.

Despite the leadership rift and legal challenges, the PDP leadership has directed its members, chapters, and organs nationwide to remain focused and resolute in preparation for the forthcoming convention.

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