Governor Chukwuma Soludo Condemns Alleged Vote Buying in Anambra State
Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State has strongly criticized the reported incidents of vote buying in certain polling units within the Nnewi South Local Government Area. His remarks came shortly after he cast his vote at Polling Unit 002, located at Ofiyi Square, Umueze, Isuofia Ward 13, Aguata Local Government Area, around 1:20 p.m. on Saturday.
During a press interaction, Soludo expressed satisfaction with the overall conduct of the election, commending the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for ensuring a calm and orderly process. “I’ve received several reports from across the state, and so far, the exercise has been largely peaceful,” he stated. “There have been a few technical issues, such as the BVAS malfunction in Olumbanasa, Anambra West, but generally, things are proceeding well,” he added.
Despite the positive feedback, the governor raised serious concerns about reports of widespread vote buying in parts of Nnewi South. He alleged that some voters were being offered up to ₦15,000 to influence their voting choices. “That’s the major issue we’ve heard of in one or two locations in Nnewi South, cases of people being paid as much as fifteen thousand naira to vote in a particular way,” Soludo said.
He reaffirmed his belief that the contest would be decided by the will of the people, emphasizing his confidence in a transparent process built on the principle of “one man, one vote.” Soludo also praised the large voter turnout and assured that anyone still in line before the official closing time of 2:30 p.m. would be allowed to vote.
Concerns About Election Integrity
The governor further raised concerns about alleged plans by a certain political party to tamper with results during the collation stage. “We’ve been informed that one party’s tactic is to alter results at the collation stage. They reportedly instructed their agents not to record figures correctly or upload them to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) to create room for manipulation,” he alleged.
Despite these allegations, Soludo expressed optimism about the election process. “Our people are alert, organised, and united. We’ll monitor the process closely — from the polling units to the wards, local governments, and up to the state level. If the system functions as intended, we are confident of victory across all 21 local government areas,” he said.
Praise for INEC and Voters
Soludo commended INEC for the timely commencement of voting and lauded residents for their orderly behavior throughout the exercise. He emphasized the importance of maintaining a fair and transparent electoral process, which he believes is crucial for the democratic development of the state.
Key Points from the Governor’s Remarks
- The governor condemned vote buying in Nnewi South, where some voters were allegedly offered up to ₦15,000 to influence their votes.
- He praised INEC for managing the election in an orderly manner and highlighted the peaceful nature of the process.
- Soludo expressed concern over potential attempts by a political party to manipulate election results during the collation phase.
- He assured that all voters who were still in line before the official closing time would be allowed to cast their ballots.
- The governor emphasized the importance of unity and vigilance among voters to ensure a fair outcome.