Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State has expressed confidence that his party, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), will record a landslide victory in the ongoing governorship election despite reports of widespread vote buying across the state.
Soludo, who voted at Ofeiyi Ward 19, Polling Unit 002, in Isuofia, Aguata Local Government Area, around 1:30 p.m., said he had received reports of candidates allegedly paying voters to secure support.
“Today is election day, and as expected, I’ve been getting calls from across the state. So far, the process has been relatively peaceful and going on smoothly,” the governor said.
He, however, acknowledged minor hitches in some polling units, including malfunctioning BVAS machines in Orumbanasa, but maintained that the exercise had been largely orderly.
“The concerns we’ve received are from one or two places in Nnewi South, particularly where we understand there is massive vote buying. A candidate from that local government appears desperate to win and has reportedly been sharing N15,000. I said even if he shares N100,000, it doesn’t matter—let the people vote and count the votes,” Soludo stated.
Reaffirming his confidence in the outcome, the governor said the election would reflect the people’s will.
“We are convinced that, based on one man, one vote, we are going to win by a landslide no doubt about that,” he declared.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) earlier confirmed that voting commenced peacefully in most parts of the state, with reports of minor logistical delays in a few polling units.
