Allegations of massive vote buying trailed Saturday conduct of the governorship election in the state, where 15 political parties slugged it out with the incumbent governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, who contested for re-election on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
Though agents of political parties were very discreet about the payment for votes cast for their party, but it remained a huge problem in Saturday’s exercise, as only political parties with candidates considered to be rich enough to pay for votes were very visible.
There wereconflicting reports of amounts paid for votes in diverse places. Former governor of Anambra and presidential candidate of Labour Party in 2023, Mr Peter Obi told journalists that he had received reports that some parties were paying between N20,000 and N30,000 for votes.
In some polling units in Awka South Local Government Area, it was observed that canvassers of various parties secretly lobbied for votes, with eagle eyed agents positioning in places where they can find out the party voted for by an electorate before parting with money to them. It was discovered that two political parties majorly participated in vote buying. They are APGA and APC.
In polling units around Awka South, while APGA gave out N5,000 to voters as inducement, APC gave as much as N10,000. In a polling unit at Odoagba, Awka South, agents of APC were said to have retreated from giving out money, after giving to only a few persons. The development almost caused fracas, as some voters challenged the agents, saying they were attempting to keep the money back for themselves.
Vote buying
Speaking on the wide spread of vote buying during the election, Anambra governor, Prof. Soludo who voted in his Ofiyi Square, polling unit 002, Isuofia in Aguata Local Government Area said: “We have also received reports about Nnewi South Local Government Area, where someone was sharing N15,000 for each vote, maybe because he is desperate to win in that local government.
“I heard it and I said, don’t mind. Even if they share N100,000, let the people just vote and let the votes count. We are fairly convinced that on the basis of one man one vote, we are going to win landslide, there is not question about that.”
Peter Obi speaking on same subject after voting at polling units 019, Umudim Akasi, Agulu ward two, Anaocha Local Government Area said: “Our democracy is deteriorating, and unfortunately, those who are benefiting from bad governance seem to be fueling it.
“I have been able to listen and move around to see what is happening, and it’s bad that we still experience vote buying. Some one who is not employed will collect N30,000 for his vote, that means you have sold your school, your hospital, your job opportunities and selling away your future, and that is what is very worrisome about our democracy.
“Other countries, even West African countries that are close to us where I have observed election, I haven’t seen something like this happening. This must stop.”
On his part, the Senator representing Anambra Central zone, Senator Victor Umeh called for arrest of people buying votes, saying they are enemy of the state.
He said: “Anyone who thinks the only way to get to office would be through rigging and buying of votes, the person would be the enemy of the state and enemy of Nigeria.
“Vote buying has been outlawed critically and clearly. During the August 16 by-election, there was so much report of vote buying, but the people who are selling their votes should know you are selling your right to complain.
“I don’t know how much money you will be paid that will be enough to last for four years. Anyone that collects money today, it will still not last two days and it will finish, and you will lose your right to complain.
“Those of us who are in the national Assembly, we see the mood of the nation, and it is not us that will change Nigeria, the citizens of Nigeria will change Nigeria, through the actions they take. They are the people who elect leaders, so if they collect money to vote someone they don’t trust, they have ruined themselves and their families.
“If there are evidence of vote buying, and if they are proven, those behind it should be arrested. The proper thing to do is to look at the candidates objectively and vote for them. If we do so, we would be helping to deepen democracy in the country.”
Violence
There were pockets of violence during the election, even though there were insignificant.
In Nri community which is seen as the stronghold of the deputy governorship candidate of APC, Senator Uche Ekwunife, some young men suspected to be thugs had invaded the community and tried to manipulate the process, but were countered by loyalists of the senator, leading to violence, but was later quelled by security personnel deployed to the area.
Meanwhile, there was report of attack by gunmen at Owerre Ezukala community in Orumba South Local Government Area, where a man identified as a councillor in the community was shot, while attempting to cast his vote.
A Facebook user, Iyke Orji who wrote about this said: “While voting in Owerre Ezukala ward 1, unknown gunmen came in and shot a top person and left. The councillor of Owerre Ezukala was fatally shot by the men.”
Speaking to THISDAY on security situation in the state, the spokesperson for Anambra State Police Command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said there were no such reports of insecurity before him.
“In fact, the state has been peaceful all along, and the atmosphere calm. There is no incident of violence in the state that I’m aware of, at least for now.
Functionality of BVAS
During the election, THISDAY noticed a significant improvement in the functioning of the BVAS machine as it took just seconds to accredit voters.
However, there seemed to be an approval for only one BVAS machine to all the polling units, making it difficult to.conflude voting on time in polling units where there were large number of voters.
For example, in Ofiyi Square where Soludo voted, the polling unit had 933 voters, all of who were expected to be captured by just one machine. Voters in the area told INEC to take care of such, and provide the machines according to the voting strength of a polling unit.
Paucity of party agents
Only two political parties, whose candidates are deemed to be the top contenders in the election presented agents in most of the polling units visited.
In most polling units around the state capital, Awka, only APGA and APC had their party agents on ground.
At Awka ward VI, polling units 010, 024 and 025, which is domiciled at Federal Government Technical College (GTC), only the two parties presented agents.
While Mr John Morah identified himself as agent of the APC, APGA was represented by Mr Chukwuma Anekwe. The Supervisory Presiding Officer of the unit announced that only the agents of the two parties were around, out of the 16 candidates.
One of the agents, Mr Morah asked if he was okay being the only two agents said: “I have no problem with that. If other parties did not send agents, that is not supposed to be my headache.”
While voting ended at 2:30pm official time, voters who arrived early enough were given opportunity to vote after close of voting. As at the time of filing this report, votes were still being collated at the local government collation centres, while INEC had already set up its state collation centre, inside the premises of the commission’s headquarters in Awka.
David-Chyddy Eleke
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