The Deputy Governorship Candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Nov 8, 2025 Anambra governorship election, Sen. Uche Ekwunife, has raised an alarm over what she termed widespread vote buying during the exercise.
Ekwunife spoke shortly after casting her vote at Polling Unit 001, Nri, in Anaocha Local Government Area of the state on Saturday.
She noted that despite repeated warnings by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies against electoral malpractices, vote buying still took place on a large scale.
According to her, credible intelligence from the field indicates distribution of huge sums of money to polling units to influence voters.
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.
Ekwunife, however, commended the impressive turnout of voters, saying it was a strong indication that Anambra people wanted accountability and good governance.
“The enthusiasm of the electorate today shows that our people are tired of bad governance and economic stagnation.
“I am confident that APC will emerge victorious because the people are yearning for a new direction,” she said.
The APC deputy governorship candidate urged INEC officials and security agencies to remain vigilant, impartial and firm in ensuring that the election outcome reflected the genuine will of the people rather than the influence of money or intimidation.
