I Predicted Soludo’s Reelection in September — PG Umueri
President-General of Umueri General Assembly in Anambra East Local Government Area, Chief (Amb.) Dr. John Metchie
By Raymond Ozoji, Awka
The President-General of the Umueri General Assembly in Anambra East Local Government Area, Chief (Amb.) Dr. John Metchie, has revealed that he predicted the reelection of Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo as far back as September this year, during the 2025 Umueri New Yam Festival celebration.
Chief Metchie stated that during the festival, while responding to questions from journalists, he had confidently declared that Governor Soludo had already secured victory in the November 8 governorship election, insisting that “there was absolutely no one contesting with him or against him.”
Speaking exclusively with this reporter at his country home in Ezi-Umueri, Metchie recalled affirming then that there was “no vacancy in the Light House, Awka,” adding that anyone seeking to become governor should try their luck in another state.
“I made it very clear that Anambra State is already taken — and taken by Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo,” he said.
According to him, Soludo’s electoral triumph came as no surprise because the governor has, within a short time, transformed the entire state into what he described as “one massive construction site.”
He noted that Soludo’s administration has been delivering tangible infrastructure and social amenities across all parts of Anambra, touching virtually every community.
Metchie highlighted the governor’s accomplishments in security, infrastructure, education, healthcare, and other key sectors, describing them as monumental.
He said the state now enjoys functional systems and organized governance compared to the situation before Soludo assumed office.
“What we have now is a government that works — a system that responds to the people’s needs,” he emphasized.
The Umueri leader further described the November 8 governorship election as a testament to the people’s confidence in Soludo’s leadership, programmes, and policies.
He noted that the massive votes the governor received clearly showed that Anambra people had spoken decisively, confirming that Soludo deserved a second term.
Metchie also revealed that the entire Umueri community turned out en masse to vote for the governor and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), even though a native of the town was among the contestants.
He disclosed that beyond mobilizing voters across the community, he personally ensured that Governor Soludo won at his own polling unit — Umueri Public Square 1 (004) — where APGA polled 60 votes, defeating APC with 11 votes, YPP with 43 votes, and PDP with just 1 vote.
Chief Metchie appreciated his support group members for their grassroots mobilization and unwavering commitment to Soludo’s reelection bid. He urged the governor to sustain the momentum of development as he embarks on what he described as his “second missionary journey” toward realizing the “Dubai–Taiwan vision” for Anambra State.
While congratulating the governor once again, Metchie reminded him of his earlier promise to construct the link road leading to the Chinua Achebe International Airport, Umueri, expressing confidence that the project would soon be actualized.
