The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Chief Emmanuel Nwachukwu of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) as the winner of the Anambra South Senatorial District bye-election conducted on Saturday, August 16, 2025.
Nwachukwu secured a decisive victory with 90,408 votes, defeating his closest rival, Chief Azuka Okwuosa of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who garnered 19,812 votes. Donald Amamgbo of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) came third with 2,889 votes in the election contested by 16 political parties.
The senatorial by-election was held to fill the vacancy created by the death of Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, who was first elected in 2019 on the Young Progressives Party (YPP) platform and re-elected in 2023 before defecting to the APC prior to his death in 2024.
Nwachukwu, a former President-General of Ukpor, will make history as the first politician from Nnewi South Local Government Area to represent the senatorial district once inaugurated.
Onitsha North 1 State Constituency Results
In a related development, INEC officials also declared Barr. Ifeoma Mimi Ikpeazu-Azikiwe of APGA as the winner of the Onitsha North 1 State Constituency by-election held on the same day.
According to Prof. Ibiam Ekpe of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, who served as the Returning Officer, Ikpeazu-Azikiwe polled 7,774 votes to defeat Mrs. Justina Azuka of the ADC, who received 1,909 votes.
Justina is the widow of the former lawmaker who represented the constituency before his kidnapping on Christmas Eve 2024. His body was later discovered near the Second Niger Bridge on February 6, 2025.
Other contenders in the race included Mr. Ezennia Chuka Ojekwe of the APC and Ms. Njideka Ndiwe of the YPP, who secured 1,371 and 655 votes respectively.
Implications for Upcoming Governorship Election
Political analysts view Saturday's by-elections as a potential indicator of voter sentiment ahead of the November 8 governorship election in Anambra State. The strong performance by APGA candidates suggests the party maintains significant support in its traditional stronghold.
The victories reinforce APGA's political dominance in Anambra, particularly in the southern senatorial zone and the commercially important Onitsha area, potentially setting the stage for the party's strategy in the upcoming gubernatorial contest.
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