Awka Residents’ Perception of Governor Soludo’s First Tenure Performance as Governor

Executive performance evaluation by citizens is a cornerstone of democratic accountability, and public perception shaped by media narratives plays a central role in determining how governance is assessed at the grassroots level. This study examined the perception of Awka residents regarding Governor Charles Soludo's performance during his first tenure as Governor of Anambra State. The study was anchored on the Agenda-Setting Theory of McCombs and Shaw, which posits that media coverage influences the salience of issues citizens use to evaluate political leaders. A descriptive survey design was adopted, with the study population comprising adult residents of Awka, the Anambra State capital. A sample of 200 respondents was selected using stratified random sampling, and a structured questionnaire was used for data collection. Findings revealed that a majority of Awka residents expressed cautious optimism about Soludo's tenure performance, particularly acknowledging visible efforts in urban renewal, security restructuring through the Ebubeagu initiative, and economic policy articulation. However, respondents expressed dissatisfaction with electricity supply, educational infrastructure, and the pace of implementing the "Liveable and Prosperous Anambra" agenda. The study concluded that Awka residents hold a mixed but broadly aware perception of Soludo's first tenure, informed largely by personal observation and media exposure. It was recommended that the Anambra State government improve feedback mechanisms and invest in transparent performance reporting to better align governance delivery with citizen expectations.

Keywords; Residents' perception, Governor Soludo, Anambra State, governance performance, democratic accountability