Anambra Poll: Sorting, Counting Begin As Voting Ends
Voting has ended with sorting and counting ongoing in the Anambra governorship election.
The sorting and counting of votes began around 2pm in some polling units across the South-Eastern state.
In polling unit 10, 02, and 03 Amawbia, Awka South Local Government Area (LGA), the sorting of votes began around that time.
Other places in the state commenced the sorting and counting later on.
Saturday’s exercise was peaceful with no reports of violence in any of the polling units. However, some of the candidates and observers alleged vote-buying.The African Democratic Congress (ADC)’s John Nwosu accused the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) of buying votes.
Nicholas Ukachukwu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) also made a similar allegation, claiming the intimidation of his party’s agents in some parts of the state.
Incumbent Charles Soludo also claimed there are plots to rig the exercise, but was confident of winning the election.
“The only thing we hear that is actually a concern, and we hope won’t happen, is that one party (he laughs) has written results to swap during the collation process,” Soludo said after voting during the election.
“We hear they have even had meetings with INEC not to upload the results so that they can have the opportunity to manipulate the results.”
Similarly, Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 election said, “I have moved around, listened, and observed what’s happening. What you see predominantly is vote buying, on a scale of ₦30,000, ₦20,000, ₦15,000.
“The question I ask is this: a young person who is unemployed, if he sells his vote for ₦30,000, what will he be paid next month when there’s no election?”
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A civil society group, Situation Room, also reported cases of vote-buying, prompting EFCC monitoring. Minor BVAS glitches were reported, but voting remained largely peaceful.
INEC said 2,802,790 registered voters were expected across 5,718 polling units. Sixteen candidates are contesting the election.
