Anambra Election A Bazaar, Says ADC

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has said that the just concluded Anambra State governorship election was more of a bazaar than an election.

Expressing dissatisfaction with the conduct of the poll, the ADC said it was so heavily monetised that it undermined the very idea of democracy itself.

In a rection, conveyed through a statement by its spokesman, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party accused the winner, Governor Charles Soludo and his party of engaging in widespread cash-for-votes.

It also slammed the security agencies and electoral officials of complicity of silence and inaction that amounted to collusion on their part.

The ADC raised serious concerns over the electoral process in Nigeria, especially as the 2027 general election draws nearer.

“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 monetised, 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.

“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,” the party added.