The governorship candidate of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) in Anambra State, Mr. Paul Chukwuma, has expressed deep concern over the state's declining academic performance following its absence from the top 10 positions in the recently released National Examination Council (NECO) state-by-state rankings.

In a press release made available to journalists in Awka on Monday, Chukwuma described the development as "shocking" given Anambra's previous reputation as a leading state in educational achievements over the past decade.

"Today, we have witnessed a shocking decline in some of the key indicators of development in our State. Once the leading light in education for over a decade, the current administration in Anambra State has caused this gain to wither," Chukwuma stated.

The YPP candidate noted with concern that Anambra now ranks behind neighboring eastern states including Abia, Imo, and Ebonyi in terms of student performance. He described the situation as "a dangerous signal for our State and the future of our kids."

"Under the current Anambra State Government, we have witnessed such a decline to the extent that Anambra State was unable to feature in both regional and national lists of top states with students who made five credits in their senior certificate examination," he lamented.

Chukwuma pledged that his party would prioritize education if elected in the upcoming gubernatorial election, promising to return Anambra to its former position of educational excellence.

"Our Party, the Young Progressive Party, YPP, is determined to put Anambra State on the path of sustained progress," he assured.

The NECO rankings, which evaluate states based on student performance in national examinations, have historically featured Anambra prominently, making its current absence particularly notable for educational stakeholders across the state.