Voting in the Anambra governorship election has concluded, with the sorting and counting of votes currently ongoing across the state. The process began around 2 p.m. in several polling units in Amawbia, Awka South Local Government Area, with other areas commencing later.
Saturday’s exercise was largely peaceful, with no major reports of violence. However, allegations of vote-buying emerged from some candidates and observers. John Nwosu of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) accused the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) of engaging in vote-buying. Similarly, All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate Nicholas Ukachukwu alleged intimidation of his party agents in certain areas.
Incumbent Governor Charles Soludo expressed concerns over potential manipulation during the collation process but remained confident of his victory. “The only thing we hear that is actually a concern, and we hope won’t happen, is that one party (he laughs) has written results to swap during the collation process,” he said.
Former presidential candidate Peter Obi also raised concerns about vote-buying, noting, “What you see predominantly is vote buying, on a scale of ₦30,000, ₦20,000, ₦15,000. The question I ask is this: a young person who is unemployed, if he sells his vote for ₦30,000, what will he be paid next month when there’s no election?”
The civil society group Situation Room corroborated these reports, prompting monitoring by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Minor BVAS glitches were recorded, but overall, the voting process remained peaceful.
According to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), 2,802,790 registered voters were expected across 5,718 polling units, with sixteen candidates contesting the election.
