Anambra Guber: Tackling Scourge Of Vote Buying In Nigeria

By most accounts, voter inducement and vote buying were rife at the November Anambra governorship election.

Election monitors reported incidents of vote buying in many polling centres during the exercise—a recurring menace in Nigeria’s electoral system.

Moreover, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission said three suspects were arrested for vote buying in various parts of the state.

Political analysts believe that vote buying is central to the problems currently plaguing Nigeria’s democracy.

They say that vote buying is the key reason why political office holders do not render quality service after winning positions, as many resort to recouping their investments instead of providing infrastructure and other dividends of democracy.

The Anambra governorship election was contested by 16 political parties, and almost all the candidates spoke to the media, complaining of vote buying.

The incumbent governor, Professor Chukuma Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), who was declared the winner of the contest by INEC after polling a total of 422,664 votes, was among the first to raise the alarm.

Soludo decried the incidents of vote buying reported in some polling units in the Nnewi South Local Government Area of the state.

He made this known after he voted at Polling Unit 002, Ofiyi Square, Umueze, Isuofia Ward 13, Aguata Local Government Area, at exactly 1:20 p.m. on Saturday.

“I have been getting numerous calls from across the state. I think it has been relatively peaceful and is going smoothly.

“Though there are some glitches at polling units in Olumbanasa in Anambra West, where the BVAS reportedly did not work as expected, on average, the election is going well.

“The only concern we have received is in one or two places in Nnewi South, where we understand that there has been massive vote buying. Some voters are being paid as much as N15,000,” he said.

The Labour Party’s candidate, Dr George Moghalu, also alleged vote buying and frowned at the danger it portended to the electoral process.

Moghalu, who spoke shortly after casting his vote at Uruagu Ward 1, Nnewi, urged INEC to rise to its responsibility of making the process credible.

He also alleged voter apathy, attributing it to people’s lack of confidence in the electoral process.

“I am not impressed; there were no issues of glitches, at least for now.

“As we go along to monitor the process, we will confirm. In terms of voting, there is an improvement over previous elections.

“I cannot say it is free and fair because if you monetise a process, you weaponise poverty; what is free about it?

“There is no doubt there is low voter turnout, and that has been the trend,” he said.

On his part, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in Anambra, Mr Nicholas Ukachukwu, alleged widespread vote buying at the election.

Ukachukwu made the allegation shortly after casting his vote at Polling Unit 012, Umudimala Amaihe Hall, Osumenyi in the Nnewi South Local Government Area of the state.

The APC candidate specifically accused the ruling APGA of vote-buying across all polling units.

“From what I have been hearing, there have been reports of hitches and security challenges, but largely, there has been vote buying.

“That has become the biggest menace that will witch-hunt this country to a standstill. It will come to a point where leaders, who have the opportunity to be in power, will not be able to do anything,” he said.

The Deputy Governorship Candidate of APC, Senator Uche Ekwunife, also added her voice in condemning what she termed widespread vote buying during the exercise.

Ekwunife said that in spite of repeated warnings by the INEC and security agencies against electoral malpractices, vote buying still took place on a large scale.

She described the development as a dangerous setback for Nigeria’s democratic process and a betrayal of the people’s will.

“Many voters in the state were pressured through financial inducements into voting against their conscience.

“It is disheartening that instead of allowing the people to freely choose their leaders, some political actors have chosen to corrupt the process with money.

“This kind of monetisation of democracy must stop if we truly want progress in Anambra and Nigeria at large,” she said.

Mr John Nwosu, candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), also condemned the alleged vote buying and selling during the exercise.

Nwosu expressed concern over what he called the ‘increasing incidence of vote trading, describing it as a ‘grave threat’ to democracy and the will of the people.

He alleged that huge sums of money were deployed to polling units in Nnewi to undermine his chances in the election.

“I had rather stand by integrity and lose honourably than buy votes to win,” he said.

Former Governor of Anambra, Mr Peter Obi, attributed the widespread vote buying and selling reported in the state election to bad governance.

Obi made the remarks at Polling Unit 019, Agulu, in Anaocha Local Government Area after casting his vote at the ongoing Anambra governorship election.

He expressed concern over the scale of vote buying, which he said ranged between N15,000 and N30,000.

“It is sad that bad governance is fuelling vote buying and selling.

“For an unemployed youth who sells his vote for N30,000, what will he be paid next month when there is no election?

“By selling your vote, you are selling no school, no hospital, no jobs and selling away your future; this is worrisome,” Obi said.

The Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) that monitored the election, including the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD-West Africa) and Nigerian Civil Society Situation Room, corroborated the views of the candidates that vote buying and apathy were rampant during the exercise.

Professor Ernest Aniche, at the Election Analysis Centre, CDD-West Africa, spoke during the preliminary report on the election after monitoring the process in the 21 local government areas.

Aniche said that the election raised concerns about voter apathy, low electoral competitiveness and the fragility of key electoral institutions.

He blamed the apathy on public distrust in INEC post-2023, fears of violence or manipulation and intra-party divisions.

“Party agents offered voters N10,000 and N5,000, depending on the location; for example, in Achina and in Aguata LGA, agents distributed N5,000 and N2,000 payments to voters.

“In Anambra South, similar patterns were recorded at Ichi in Ekwusigo LGA and Achina in Aguata LGA, with agents distributing cash payments ranging from N2,000 to N5,000 in rooms,” he said.

In addition, Yiaga Africa, European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN) II and other partner organisations equally raised concerns over voter turnout and vote buying.

The Executive Director of Yiaga Africa, Mr Samson Itodo, and Ms Asabe Ndahi of the Kukah Centre identified vote buying and low turnout as recurring issues observed during the election.

Mr Paulchuks Umenduka, Director, Woman and Family Advancement Initiative (WAFAI), Anambra, an NGO, warned that vote buying would expose the country to grievous dangers.

“In Anambra, there are people called conversers who embark on house-to-house visits to bargain with voters before the day of the election.

“The converser will tell the voter to use a smarter phone and snap the ballot paper as evidence to enable them to be paid after voting for their candidate.

“This development has resulted in the desperation both young and old exhibit during elections lately,’’ Umenduka said.

He cited the case of a 96-year-old woman, Mrs Elizabeth Onike, who was reported to be weeping because she was denied voting rights at Umudim Akasi Polling Unit 019, Agulu Ward 8, Anaocha Local Government Area.

“At polling unit 005 in Enugwu-Ukwu Community in the Njikoka area of Anambra, the confusion that ensued as a result of the struggle to vote caused the fainting of the INEC presiding official, Miss Blessing Egoigwe, and she was subsequently rushed to the hospital.

“I can tell you that all these acts of desperation were not for patriotic desire for people to perform their civic duties but due to pecuniary interest,’’ he said.

He said if Nigerians must enjoy the full gains of democracy, in which elected officials perform their duties and corruption is eliminated, vote buying and other electoral frauds must be tackled headlong.

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Mrs Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu adjudged the election to be peaceful and without tangible hitches after she monitored the exercise in some polling units in Uruagu Ward 2 in the Nnewi area.

Worthy of note, the Anambra governorship election was adjudged very peaceful, as there were no reports of violence across the 21 Local Government Areas of the state.

Ultimately, it is the view of critical stakeholders that concerted and conscious efforts should be made towards stamping out vote buying from Nigeria’s electoral system.