Once celebrated as the “technocrat governor” who would transform Anambra into a model state, Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo now faces a storm of controversies and criticisms that threaten his 2025 re-election bid. The same brilliance that made him Nigeria’s former Central Bank Governor is now being questioned by political observers, civil groups, and even members of his own party, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
From alleged vote inducement promises and religious bias to local government interference and elitist rhetoric, Soludo’s tenure has become one of the most debated in Anambra’s political history. Supporters praise his visible road projects and reforms in infrastructure, but detractors say these few successes are overshadowed by poor grassroots governance, political arrogance, and declining trust among citizens.
According to exclusive report which outlined 20 major criticisms levelled against Governor Soludo backed by sources alongside 5 verifiable achievements that show his efforts to change Anambra’s development narrative.
As the 2025 election draws near, the question on every citizen’s lips is clear:
Has Governor Soludo delivered progress or disappointment?
Read on for the full breakdown: the sins, the successes, and the stories behind the storm.
1. Governor Soludo Promises N10Million Reward To LGA That Delivers Most Votes For APGA In Upcoming Anambra Guber Poll (An Act Of Open Vote Buying and Inducement Which Goes Against Electoral Laws)
According to him, the local government that emerges first in the election will receive N10 million.
Those that come second and third will receive N5 million and N3 million, respectively.
Additionally, Soludo promised N1 million to any ward that wins for APGA. He also reminded voters of previous promises made during the House of Assembly election, where council chairpersons or campaign chairpersons would receive N500,000 for each ward won.
We are targeting to win all the polling units everywhere," Soludo said, stressing APGA's determination to sweep the election.
He said, "And let me end by telling you that the prices remain, at the last House of Assembly election, we promised that anyone that won would get 500,000, is that so?
"Now we are calculating them, the mayor or the campaign chairman, you will get for each one that we won in that House of Assembly election, they will be getting N500,000 and you go and give to them.
"And finally, again, there will be another price. We have declared the prize winner, anyone that wins their own Ward in this election will get N1 million.
"Okay, now let me tell you the prices that anyone that comes first in Anambra East will get. Local government will get a prize of N5 million for the one that will come first, N3 million for the one that will come second, N2 million for the one that will come third.
"Now for Anambra as a whole, out of the 21 local governments, which local government will win? It's a challenge.
"Local government that will win out of the 21 local governments will get a cash award of 10 million."
Sources:
2. Alleged overbearing control of the party / sidelining internal voices in APGA.
3. Accusations of “desperation” for reelection over substantive governance.
4. Criticism of decline in education under his administration (poor external exam results, lack of teachers’ quarters, etc.).
5. Heavy reliance on community and campaign funding contributions (raising questions about use of public vs private funds).
6. Electoral process irregularities / interference allegations in local government / municipal elections.
7. Dismissive / insensitive responses to criticisms of electoral process raising questions about accountability.
8. Use of religious / clerical threats statements about jailing erring bishops, priests after re-election.
Source:
9. Concerns about zoning / power rotation statements that may alienate certain regions.
10. Perceived mismatch between his academic / technocrat image and political performance / delivery.
11. Critique that critics exaggerate problems, but underlying issues of governance gaps exist.
12. Criticism that election claims / endorsements are misrepresented (e.g. OBIdient movement denying endorsement).
13. Perception that he is manipulating or controlling state electoral machinery / influencing results.
14. Sharp rhetoric, dismissive tone, or “elitist” communication style.
15. Criticism for building or infrastructure focus overshadowing other needed reforms (health, education, local governance).
16. Concerns about neglecting or undermining grassroots / local government autonomy.
Source: https://www.thisdaylive.com/2024/07/03/as-soludo-sustains-undemocratic-lg-system-in-anambra/
17. Suspicion that his control of party structures suppresses dissent or internal accountability.
18. Claims of electoral “clean sweep” at LG level that defy expectations and raise suspicion of rigging.
19. Questions about legitimacy of campaign funding sources and transparency in funding.
20. Poor Security and Rising Crime Concerns in Anambra
Despite early promises to restore peace, critics argue that Soludo’s administration has not effectively addressed insecurity in several parts of the state, especially in Aguata, Ihiala, Nnewi South, and Anambra South where incidents of kidnapping, cult clashes, and attacks on security operatives have persisted.
Opposition leaders and civic groups say his government’s claims of improved security do not match realities on the ground, calling for more proactive community policing and intelligence-driven operations.
Source:
21. Excesses, recklessness and unprofessional conduct of some operatives of his engendered security outfit, Udo Ga Achi. The operatives deserves better capacity training especially on areas of human interpersonal relationship and intelligence training before deployment
Below are several documented incidents involving alleged reckless or unprofessional conduct by operatives of the security outfit Operation Udo Ga Achi in Anambra State.
1. Accidental discharge kills market woman
A middle-aged woman trading at Mgbaukwu community in Awka South LGA was allegedly hit and killed by a stray bullet fired by an operative of “Udo Ga Achi”. Her body was found lying in a pool of blood in the market.
2. Alleged killing of a 12-year-old boy
Tension erupted in Onitsha (Ifejike Street, near Biafra Market) after operatives of Udo Ga Achi allegedly shot dead a 12-year-old boy who was reportedly sitting on a culvert. Eyewitnesses said the operatives attempted to flee in a pickup truck.
3. Brutal assault on a female NYSC corps member
A viral video captured operatives storming a corps member’s lodge in Oba (Idemili South LGA) and assaulting, stripping and intimidating the female NYSC member despite her presenting identification. Four operatives were later arraigned.
4. Extortion and forced confession of a businessman
A businessman in Awka was reportedly abducted by operatives of the outfit, forced to transfer ₦1.83 million via POS after a false accusation, then made to confess under duress.
5. Invasion of landlords’ association office & property destruction
Operatives from SASA / Udo Ga Achi reportedly invaded the Awada Central Landlords Association’s office, abducted a clerk and two vigilantes, destroyed property worth millions, seized arms/gadgets and money after a scuffle in Orsumoghu Street.
6. Admission of inadequate training and infiltration concerns
The Anambra Police Commissioner admitted operatives drawn from various backgrounds (some only security guards) without formal training, and noted they were currently being trained. Also a state aide claimed “criminals have infiltrated” the outfit.
Sources:
Also there are several other documented/recorded and undocumented incidents of misconducts by operatives of Udo Ga Achi security operatives.
These incidents illustrate failures in training, oversight, human-interpersonal relationship skills and intelligence-led operations.
They show operatives acting with alleged impunity, affecting civilians, minors, NYSC members, property owners, and business persons.
The documented events correlate with criticique reports that operatives of Udo Ga Achi were deployed without proper interpersonal or intelligence training, leading to excessive/unprofessional behaviour.
Here are 5 key achievements of Chukwuma Soludo as Governor of Anambra State, each with a plain-text source link:
1. Free education and teacher recruitment: he made public schools free (nursery to JSS3 in 2023, SS3 in 2024) and recruited 8,115 teachers, with out-of-school-children rate down to 2.9 %.
2. Digital transformation & e-governance: deployment of free WiFi hotspots, fiber optic infrastructure, “SolutionLens” citizen-engagement platform, and Anambra being awarded “Best State in Digital Technology Development”.
3. Large scale infrastructure/road upgrade: Over 739 km of roads (420 km already commissioned) in his first 2½ years; solarisation of streetlights; major works in water supply and urban renewal.
4. Youth & human-capital empowerment: Programmes such as “One Youth, Two Skills” training thousands of youth, boosting entrepreneurship, digital skills and job creation.
5. Extensive Road Construction and Rehabilitation Across Anambra State
Governor Soludo embarked on notable road construction and rehabilitation projects across several local governments, improving connectivity and easing transport challenges.
While the construction of roads is part of every governor’s constitutional responsibility, Soludo has received commendations for actually addressing this obligation a point where some of his predecessors reportedly underperformed.
Source:
Reports
