Anambra Election: Soludo hails smooth process amid vote-buying allegations
Governor Chukwuma Soludo says the ongoing Anambra governorship election is “going on smoothly,” despite emerging allegations of vote buying in parts of the state.
Speaking to reporters after casting his ballot at about 1:18 p.m., the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) candidate said there were reports of voters in Nnewi South being offered as much as ₦15,000 to influence their choices.
“People should be allowed to vote, that is what matters,” he said, adding that some voters were reportedly offered sums as high as ₦100,000.
Soludo, a former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, also raised concerns over potential manipulation of results during collation. “The concern is the result being written already and swapped by some during collation,” he warned, though he expressed confidence that authorities were working to ensure that “every vote counts.”
Meanwhile, Soludo defeated Labour Party (LP) candidate George Moghalu in Moghalu’s own polling unit.
According to Premium Times, presiding officer Okonkwo Ebere announced the result at about 2:50 p.m. after counting was concluded. Soludo polled 57 votes, while Moghalu secured 22. The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Nicholas Ukachukwu, came third with 5 votes.
A total of 85 valid votes were recorded — less than 20 percent of the 463 registered voters in the polling unit at Uruagu Ward 1, Nnewi North Local Government Area.
Moghalu, who voted around 11:40 a.m., decried the low voter turnout and incidents of vote buying, urging the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to improve on election management.
“People are asking us to give them money before they can vote,” a Labour Party agent told Premium Times, describing the situation as discouraging.
Observers also reported delayed commencement of voting in several polling units due to late arrival of officials and materials. At PU 012, Cooperative Centre, Uruagu Ward 1, only a few voters were present as of 10:58 a.m.
Across Nnewi North, multiple reports pointed to low voter participation and alleged vote trading by party agents at various polling stations.
