Governor of Anambra State, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, has strongly criticized politicians who campaign on the promise of serving only one term in office, describing the tactic as a deception and an insult to the intelligence of Anambra people.
Speaking during an interview on Arise Television on Election Day, Wednesday, August 20, 2025, Soludo recalled that similar promises had been made during the 2017 governorship election but were overwhelmingly rejected by voters.
“This is not new. In 2017, when my predecessor was seeking re-election, some people came with the same argument, saying give me one term only. Anambra people saw through the deceit and voted massively against it. We won 21 out of 21 local governments. Nobody bought that crap,” Soludo said.
The governor stressed that Anambra’s established zoning arrangement must be respected, noting that the South senatorial zone is currently in its rightful turn and must complete it before power rotates to the Central.
“I am from the South. The North just handed over to us, and it is only fair that the South completes its tenure before it goes to Central. Yet, some people from the South are now campaigning, saying vote for me, I’ll only do one term. It is disingenuous and against the spirit of zoning,” he stated.
Soludo further faulted the manifestos being rolled out by such candidates, describing them as unrealistic and unattainable.
“When you look at their manifestos, you realize that even if they had 20 years in office, they wouldn’t scratch them. It’s pure deception. To think the people of Anambra cannot see through such lies is to take them for fools. Anyone making such promises is either being deliberately deceitful or suffering from a deeper problem,” he declared.
The governor emphasized that Anambra people deserve honesty and credible leadership, not what he called “cheap political gimmicks” designed to undermine established democratic structures in the state.
