The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has sent a strong signal ahead of the 2027 general elections, following its giant stride at last weekend’s bye-elections.
With the results declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the All Progressives Congress (APC) dusted other political parties in 12 constituencies, while the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) showed class as it won the two bye-elections that were conducted in Anambra State. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won in one (Oyo), just as the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) won in one (Kano).
The ruling APC, however, made a big inroad in Kaduna State where it swept all three bye-elections.
In the result for the Chikun/Kajuru Federal Constituency election, APC’s candidate, Felix Bagudu, polled a total of 34,580 votes to defeat the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, who scored 11,491 votes to come second.
The APC victory in Kajuru/Chikun is being described as a major breakthrough for the party, since the local government areas have remained the stronghold of the PDP since the return of democratic rule in 1999.
APC also swept the two Kaduna State by-elections for Zaria Kewaye and Basawa constituencies.
In Anambra State, Governor Chukwuma Soludo described the results of Saturday’s bye-elections as the final burial of the opposition Labour Party (LP) and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the state.
The governor stated this during an event to celebrate the victory of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Saturday’s bye-elections in Nanka.
“ADC does not exist in Anambra. We showed it yesterday (Saturday). The Labour Party is dead.
“The people spoke overwhelmingly with over 75%. APGA is our movement,” Soludo stated.
Declaring the Anambra South Senatorial District bye-election results, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said Emmanuel Nwachukwu of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) scored 90,408 votes to defeat Azuka Okwuosa of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who polled 19,847 votes, and ADC’s Donald Amangbo, who got 2,889 votes.
It would be recalled that the Anambra South Senate seat became vacant following the death of Senator Ifeanyi Ubah last year in a London hospital.
INEC declared APGA’s Ifeoma Azikiwe the winner of the bye-election for the Onitsha North Constituency 1 in the Anambra State House of Assembly.
Soludo, who mocked his political rival in the state, Peter Obi, noted: “Onitsha North Constituency happens to be the constituency of the former presidential candidate of the Labour Party. That’s his state constituency; he lives in Onitsha.
“And all of them came, the senator representing the zone came. The senator representing Anambra Central threw himself into the ring. Members of the House of Representatives threw themselves into the ring. It looked like this was an allied force. Who were they coming against? The people. But the people of Anambra spoke.
“They wanted to use it as a test case for the new concoction called ADC in Anambra, but that election was won by APGA; we won with about 77%, a very emphatic statement. The signal we sent was that both ADC and Labour Party are dead in Anambra.”
Anambra State will similarly be going into a governorship election on November 11, 2025, with Soludo seeking a second term in office under the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu has congratulated all the winners of last Saturday, August 16, bye-elections in 16 constituencies across 12 states.
A statement by the presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, stated that the President commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the hitch-free elections, which were mostly devoid of violence.