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Samuel Ogidan
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has condemned the conduct of the Anambra 2025 governorship election, describing it as a sham soaked in money politics that ridiculed the essence of democracy.
In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, on Sunday in Abuja, the party accused the incumbent governor and his political party of orchestrating widespread vote-buying. It also faulted the apparent complicity of security agencies and the passivity of electoral officials, saying their silence amounted to collusion.
“The African Democratic Congress has observed the conduct of the just concluded Anambra gubernatorial election with a deep sense of concern for the electoral process in Nigeria. What unfolded in Anambra was, regrettably, a cash-drenched spectacle that was more of a bazaar than an election. This undermines the very essence of democracy,” the statement read.
According to the ADC, reports and eyewitness accounts clearly revealed a heavily monetized exercise, with the ruling party allegedly engaging in brazen cash-for-vote schemes. “At polling units across the state, bundles of naira notes changed hands in full view. This was a brazen violation of the Electoral Act, whose foundation had been laid by the Governor himself well ahead of the election,” it said.
The party expressed concern over what it described as the deliberate failure of institutions responsible for safeguarding electoral integrity. “Even more troubling was the apparent silence — and in some instances, visible inaction — of institutions mandated to enforce electoral integrity. Security operatives stood by as voters were harassed and compromised, while electoral officials, overwhelmed or indifferent, failed to uphold even the most basic standards,” the statement noted.
The ADC warned that if the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, replicates such laxity and moral decay in the 2027 general elections, the consequences could be disastrous for Nigeria’s democracy. “If this is the manner in which the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, intends to conduct the 2027 general election, then Nigerians have every reason to be worried about the future of our democracy, especially at a time when the state of our nation is under the microscope of the international community,” it cautioned.
Reaffirming its commitment to value-driven leadership, the ADC declared that it remains steadfast in its vision for a Nigeria where power is earned through integrity, inclusiveness, and service — not through the crude trade of cash for votes. “On our part, the ADC remains committed to building a Nigeria where leadership is earned through integrity, inclusion, and service — not through the crude exchange of cash for votes,” the statement concluded.
