Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State has stirred controversy after announcing cash rewards for wards won by his party, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), in the Anambra governorship election scheduled for November 8.
Speaking at a campaign rally in Umunze, Orumba South Local Government Area, Soludo said:
“When we were campaigning for the Senate, we knew we were going to win every ward in the South Senatorial Zone, but we still had some incentives. Any ward that APGA won received ₦1 million, and we won all the wards in Orumba South.
“We promised each of these wards ₦1m and next week, we will redeem it. The ward that comes first will get ₦5m, the second ₦3m, and the third ₦2m. For November 8, any ward that wins again will receive ₦1m, while the top three wards will get ₦5m, ₦2m, and ₦1m respectively.”
The announcement immediately drew criticism from opposition parties and civil society groups, who described it as open vote-buying and a violation of Nigeria’s Electoral Act.
APC’s South-East Vice Chairman, Dr. Ijeomah Arodiogbu, accused Soludo of using public funds for political advantage and coercing local leaders to deliver votes.
“Clearly, this is vote-buying and against the electoral law. Soludo has been carrying out undemocratic activities in this election. He has been forcing communities to commit their votes through their leaders.
“The ₦1m offer is just one of many. We will write to INEC, EFCC, police, and other relevant security agencies about his actions,” Arodiogbu said.
The ADC, PDP, and Labour Party also condemned the move, calling it an abuse of office and a danger to democratic integrity. Advocacy groups, including the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership and YIAGA Africa, urged authorities to investigate, warning that such actions undermine fair elections.
In response, Anambra’s Commissioner for Information, Dr. Law Mefor, defended Soludo, insisting that the pledges were simply meant to motivate APGA supporters, not to buy votes.
Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced plans to deploy over 22,000 ad hoc staff and 540 journalists across Anambra’s 5,720 polling units. However, voter turnout for Permanent Voter Card (PVC) collection has been low in major cities like Awka, Nnewi, and Onitsha.
Political parties have called on INEC to improve public awareness and speed up PVC distribution before the Anambra governorship election.
