The people of Anambra South Senatorial District finally have a new voice in the National Assembly following the election of Emmanuel Nwachukwu of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). His victory in Saturday’s by-election officially ends the vacancy created by the death of Senator Ifeanyi Ubah.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Nwachukwu winner on Sunday after a decisive contest that saw him secure an overwhelming mandate.
Frank Ojiako, INEC’s returning officer, announced that Nwachukwu polled 90,408 votes to defeat his closest rival, Azuka Okwuosa of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who managed 19,847 votes.
Donald Amangbo of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) trailed far behind with 2,889 votes, while other candidates barely made a mark in the race.
“I hereby make the declaration that Emmanuel Nwachukwu of APGA, having satisfied the requirements of the law, is hereby declared the winner and returned elected,” Ojiako told journalists at the collation centre.
The Anambra South seat became vacant in June 2024 after the sudden death of Senator Ifeanyi Ubah in London at the age of 52. His passing left a political vacuum in the district, sparking months of uncertainty over who would succeed him.
Ubah, who was first elected to the Senate on the platform of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) in 2019, secured re-election in 2023 but later defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in October of that year. His political weight and flamboyant style made him one of Anambra’s most recognisable politicians until his untimely demise.
Nwachukwu’s triumph, however, marks APGA’s resurgence in Anambra politics, reaffirming the party’s dominance in the state. The win also sends a clear message that despite the ruling APC’s inroads, APGA still retains grassroots strength in its traditional base.
In a related contest, APGA also consolidated its grip on the state legislature. Ifeoma Azikiwe, the party’s candidate, was declared winner of the Onitsha North Constituency 1 seat in the Anambra House of Assembly.
According to Ibiam Ekpe, the INEC returning officer, Azikiwe scored 7,774 votes to defeat Justina Azuka of the ADC, who polled 1,909 votes. That seat, like Anambra South, became vacant under tragic circumstances following the kidnap and eventual killing of Justice Azuka, the former lawmaker, whose decomposing body was discovered in February 2025.
