The former governor of central bank or Nigeria(CBN), Prof. Charles Soludo was declared winner of the Anambra Governorship election by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC on Wednesday.
Professor Soludo contested on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), the current ruling party in the state.
Soludo is not new in the system, he is a national figure known by all and has played prominent roles in national development.
Below are some quick facts about the new Anambra State Governor-elect.
1. Soludo is 61 years old, having been born on 28 February, 1960
2. He was chairman of the board of directors of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
3. On 29 May, 2004, Soludo was named governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.
4. Soludo is a Nigerian Professors of Economics.
5. He 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)
6. He obtained his three degrees and then professorship at the University of Nigeria in Nsukka, Enugu State.
7. Soludo graduated with a First Class Honours degree in 1984, an MSc Economics in 1987, and a Ph.D in 1989, winning prizes for the best student at all three levels.
8. He was appointed to the position of professor of economics at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka in 1998.
9. Soludo held the positions of Chief Economic Adviser to former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Chief Executive of the National Planning Commission of Nigeria.
10. On 16 September, 2019, the President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, appointed Soludo as a member of a newly formed 8-member Economic Advisory Council (EAC) which would report directly to the President.
11. He announced his aspiration to become Anambra Governor in September 2009, he contested under PDP and lost the election to Peter Obi of APGA.
12. In February 2021, Soludo officially declared his intention to run for the position of Governor of Anambra State under the banner of APGA.
13. Soludo has six children.
14. Worked as a university lecturer for 15 years Though he is known as a public policy expert and politician, Soludo spent 15 years working as a lecturer at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka ((February 1988- July 2003).
15. Authored over 82 scholarly publications As an academic, Soludo has authored over 82 scholarly publications, over 220 conference papers and technical reports and authored, co-authored or edited many books.
16. Appointee of two presidents from different parties (PDP and APC): Obasanjo and Buhari
Soludo was ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo’s Chief Economic Adviser from July 2003 to May 2004. In 2019, he was also named a member of President Muhammadu Buhari’s Economic Advisory Council.
17. A very good footballer
Well, this will leave many people surprised. In an interview published by The Guardian in 2016, Soludo said he was a very good footballer but had to “literally hide to play football.”
He said: “The pressure was for you to go to school, get a job and help your parents to train your younger ones. Football or music was considered “useless” as most people could not imagine how people could earn sustainable livelihood from any of them. Not anymore!”
18. Has a musician son One of Soludo’s children, Ozonna, is a musician. In the previously referenced interview, Soludo spoke about his son’s choice and why he allowed him to venture into the music industry.
19. Worked for many international financial institutions, including IMF, World Bank and AfDB.
Soludo also worked as a consultant for the African Development Bank (AfDB), Abidjan, The World Bank, Washington DC, International Monetary Fund (IMF), Washington, DC, and so on.
20. He was declared Anambra Governor-elect by INEC on Wednesday, November 10, 2021.
