Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, has expressed concerns over reported incidents of vote buying in some polling units in Nnewi South Local Government Area during the ongoing election. Soludo made this statement after casting his vote at Polling Unit 002, Ofiyi Square, Umueze, Isuofia Ward 13, Aguata Local Government Area, at 1:20 p.m. on Saturday.
The governor commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for conducting a peaceful and orderly election process, despite some glitches reported in polling units in Olumbanasa, Anambra West, where the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) malfunctioned. Soludo noted that the election was proceeding relatively smoothly, with his party confident of winning based on the principle of “one man, one vote.”
Soludo’s concerns about vote buying in Nnewi South were sparked by reports of voters being paid as much as N15,000. He emphasized that his party was committed to ensuring the integrity of the electoral process. The governor also alleged that a political party was planning to manipulate results during collation by instructing their polling agents not to properly record or upload results on the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV).
Despite these concerns, Soludo expressed confidence in the electoral system and his party’s chances of winning all 21 local government areas. He praised INEC for the timely commencement of voting and commended residents for their peaceful conduct during the exercise. The governor noted that anyone on the queue before the official closing time of 2:30 p.m. would be allowed to vote.
As the election continues, Soludo’s comments highlight the importance of ensuring the integrity of the electoral process. The outcome of the election will be closely watched, with the governor’s party hoping to emerge victorious. The successful conduct of the election will depend on the ability of INEC and other stakeholders to prevent manipulation and ensure that the will of the people is respected. With the voting process nearing completion, attention will now shift to the collation of results and the declaration of the winner.