Anambra guber poll, “cash-and-carry democracy” – ADC; Party candidate, Nwosu describes exercise as national embarrassment

Anambra guber poll, “cash-and-carry democracy” – ADC; Party candidate, Nwosu describes exercise as national embarrassment

From Ndukaku Ihe

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has said that  last Saturday’s Anambra State  governorship election,  was more of a bazaar than an election.

The ADC, in a statement by its interim national publicity secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, Saturday, accused the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) of allegedly engaging in vote buying, while the security agencies were allegedly silent.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared APGA candidate, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, as winner of the November 8 Anambra gubernatorial contest.

However, the opposition party stated that if INEC intends to conduct the 2027 polls same way it conducted the Anambra governorship polls, then citizens should be worried about the future of democracy in the country.

The ADC said “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.

“We wish to state categorically that, as has been widely reported and clearly shown to Nigerians and the international community, this election was highly monetized, with the incumbent and his party seen to have participated in several forms and styles of cash-for-votes.

“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 added that:  “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.

“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.

“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.”

Meanwhile, John Chuma Nwosu, governorship candidate of the ADC, has rejected the outcome of the just-concluded election in Anambra State, describing the exercise as a ruse and total subversion of the people’s will.

Nwosu who spoke in his country home at Odida Nnewichi on Saturday said the election was marred by massive vote buying and shameless financial inducement at polling units across the state, noting that by every account, “the people have not spoken.”

He described the election as a “national embarrassment and a direct assault on the integrity of our democracy.

“In almost every polling unit, voters were openly induced with cash ranging from ₦3,000 to ₦20,000, turning the entire process into a marketplace rather than a democratic exercise.

“Let it be clear: True victory is judged not by the outcome but by the integrity of the process. An election riddled with corruption, manipulation, and vote trading cannot and will never represent the voice of the people.  Moreover, a shambolic election confers a shambolic mandate.

“The conscience of our democracy has been wounded. When votes are bought, the future is sold. What we witnessed was not the expression of choice, but the glaring triumph of desperation and greed over the principles of justice and fairness.

“I strongly condemn the failure of relevant institutions to safeguard the sanctity of the ballot. When the system fails to uphold fairness, it loses the moral right to declare winners. This culture of electoral corruption must end if we truly desire a prosperous and just society.

“Our mission has never been about winning at all costs; it was about redefining governance and building a new Anambra anchored on values, transparency, elimination of corruption, and a secure state driven by the innovative use of technology.”