Sorting and counting underway as Anambra Governorship election ends peacefully

Voting has officially ended in the Anambra governorship election, with sorting and counting of ballots now underway across various polling units in the state.

The process began around 2 p.m. in polling units 10, 02, and 03 in Amawbia, Awka South Local Government Area, while other locations commenced later in the afternoon.

Despite minor glitches with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), the exercise was largely peaceful, with no reports of violence across the state’s 5,718 polling units.

However, the poll was not without controversy as several candidates and observers raised allegations of vote-buying and intimidation.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, John Nwosu, accused the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) of inducing voters with cash. The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Nicholas Ukachukwu, made similar claims, alleging harassment of his party agents.

Incumbent Governor Charles Soludo of APGA expressed confidence in his re-election bid but alleged that some parties were plotting to manipulate results during collation. “We hear that one party has written results to swap during the collation process,” he said after casting his vote.

Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, also decried widespread vote-buying, describing it as a disturbing trend that undermines democracy. “What you see predominantly is vote-buying—₦30,000, ₦20,000, ₦15,000 per voter,” he lamented.

Civil society group Situation Room confirmed reports of monetary inducement, which prompted monitoring by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

According to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), 2,802,790 registered voters were expected to participate in the election, which featured 16 candidates vying for the state’s top seat.