It is no longer news that Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance is the new governor-elect of Anambra state The 61-year old professor of economics and former Central Bank of Nigeria governor was declared the winner of the just-concluded poll in the southeast state Professor Soludo is now the 6th Nigerian governor-elect in this current political dispensation with a PhD – Anambra governor-elect, Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo has written his name in gold in the history books of Nigeria as he joins a list of governors in the current dispensation with a Ph.D. Most Nigerian politicians are not known to be outstanding academics, but the narrative is beginning to change in the last decade. A campaign billboard showing Professor Soludo is seen along the road in Awka before the Anambra governorship election.
Soludo, a member of the British Department for International Development’s International Advisory Group, is currently a member of the 8-member Economic Advisory Council former by President Muhammadu Buhari in September 2019. Soludo has been a visiting scholar at the International Monetary Fund, the University of Cambridge, the Brookings Institution, the University of Warwick, and the University of Oxford as well as a visiting professor at Swarthmore College (USA). He has also worked as a consultant for a number of international organisations, including The World Bank, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, and the United Nations Development Programme. He obtained his three degrees and then professorship at the University of Nigeria in Nsukka, Enugu state. He graduated with a First Class Honours degree in 1984, an MSc in Economics in 1987, and a Ph.D. in 1989, winning prizes for the best student at all three levels.
The other five governors who are currently Ph.D. holders are: 1. Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano state 2. Dr. John Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti state 3. Professor Benedict Ayade of Cross River state 4. Professor Babagana Zulum of Borno state and 5. Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia state.
How Soludo predicted his victory after casting his vote Professor Soludo had earlier expressed confidence that he would win the Anambra state governorship election. Speaking with journalists on Saturday, November 6, after casting his vote at his polling unit in Aguata local government area of Anambra, Soludo said even if only 100 people vote in the election, he would win. According to him, he does not want to just win but aims at giving his opponents a wide margin. Children gather at Soludo’s house, pray for him to win Anambra election Meanwhile, amid the collation of the results of the Anambra governorship election in Awka on Sunday, November 7, many children prayed for Professor Soludo to become governor. The children who gathered at the country home of Soludo, Isuofia, were said to be those on his scholarship scheme.
The governorship candidate of APGA also took to his Facebook page to share the photos of the children shortly after their visit.
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