Anambra Governorship Election: Soludo Becomes Second Ex-CBN Governor to Emerge State Governor

 Anambra governor-elect, Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo has written his name in gold in the history books of Nigeria.

 Soludo, a member of the British Department for International Development's International Advisory Group, is the second ex-Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor to emerge as a state governor in the country.

 The first was Clement Isong, former governor of Cross River state. Isong was CBN governor from 1967 to 1975. He later became the Cross River governor from 1979 to 1983. 

Soludo becomes 6th Nigerian governor with a PhD Interestingly, it was Soludo who honoured Clement Isong by placing his portrait on the Nigerian N1000 note. Also, Soludo has a Ph.D. in Economics just like Isong did. 

 Late Isong studied at University College, Ibadan, Iowa Wesleyan College, Mount Pleasant, Iowa, and the Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, where he obtained a Ph.D. in Economics. 

He taught economics at the University of Ibadan before joining the CBN as secretary, later becoming director of research. He was seconded to the International Monetary Fund as an adviser in the African Department. 

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 PhD in 1989, winning prizes for the best student at all three levels. 

Meanwhile, election observer group, Yiaga Africa has declared that the counting process at polling units during the Anambra governorship election was transparent and included representatives from the four political parties that received the most votes.

 Executive director of Yiaga Africa, Samson Itodo made the statement at a press briefing in Abuja on Monday, November 8, saying:  “At 83% of polling units, the polling official posted the official polling unit results for the public to see.”  

Yiaga Africa had earlier accused politicians of inducing voters with gift items and monetary gifts before the election. The group disclosed this at a press briefing  in Awka on Friday, November 6. Reading the summary of findings from Yiaga Africa's pre-election observation, its executive director, Samson Itodo, said some citizens were being compromised by collecting fabrics and a token of N1,500 each.