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Governor Soludo accused of promoting vote-buying ahead of November 8 poll
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Governor Soludo promises N1m reward per ward won by APGA in Anambra election.
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Opposition parties and CSOs describe the pledge as vote-buying and abuse of office.
Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo of Anambra State has come under heavy criticism after announcing a cash reward of ₦1 million for every ward won by his party, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), in the upcoming November 8 governorship election.
Speaking during APGA’s campaign rally on Saturday in Umunze, Orumba South Local Government Area, Soludo told supporters that his administration would “redeem” the promised incentives for all victorious wards after the poll.
“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.
“For November 8, any ward that wins again will receive ₦1 million, while the first three performing wards will get ₦5 million, ₦2 million, and ₦1 million respectively,”Soludo said.
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The National Vice Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the South-East, Dr Ijeomah Arodiogbu, said Soludo’s declaration amounted to “a clear abuse of office and a breach of the Electoral Act.”
Also, the National Publicity Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Bolaji Abdullahi, urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to investigate, describing the governor’s comments as “a public confession of vote-buying.”
The Labour Party also condemned the move, accusing Soludo of weaponising poverty to influence the will of voters.
“This is not good for democracy. Why is he giving out money now that elections are near? This is vote-buying and manipulation. We will raise this matter at the next stakeholders’ meeting with INEC,” the party stated.
Recall that 16 political parties will contest the November 8 election, with over 2.8 million registered voters expected to participate across the 326 wards in Anambra State.
