Anambra Poll: ‘Cash-Drenched Bazaar’ – ADC

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has sharply criticized the Anambra 2025 governorship election, citing widespread vote-buying and systemic failures. The party warns that these issues pose a serious threat to Nigeria’s democracy and are a troubling sign for the upcoming 2027 general elections.

This criticism came barely hours after President Bola Tinubu congratulated Governor Chukwuma Soludo on his re-election, praising the process as credible and the outcome as a testament to Soludo’s “visionary leadership.”

However, the ADC views the situation quite differently in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Bolaji Abdullahi, on Sunday, November 9.

The ADC accused political actors of turning the poll into a marketplace where votes were openly bought and sold.

“What unfolded in Anambra was, regrettably, a cash-drenched spectacle that was more of a bazaar than an election. This undermines the very essence of democracy,” Abdullahi said.

He alleged that the exercise was heavily monetised, particularly by the incumbent and his party.

“We wish to state categorically that, as has been widely reported and clearly shown to Nigerians and the international community, this election was highly monetised, with the incumbent and his party seen to have participated in several forms and styles of cash-for-votes,” the ADC said.

According to Abdullahi, bundles of naira notes were exchanged at polling units in full view of citizens, an act he described as a brazen violation of the Electoral Act.

Beyond vote-buying, the ADC chieftain also took aim at the conduct of security operatives and electoral officials, accusing them of doing little to safeguard the process.

“Even more troubling was the apparent silence, and in some instances, visible inaction, of institutions mandated to enforce electoral integrity. Security operatives stood by as voters were harassed and compromised, while electoral officials, overwhelmed or indifferent, failed to uphold even the most basic standards,” Abdullahi said.

He warned that if INEC conducts the 2027 general elections in a similar manner, the nation’s democracy could be severely undermined.

“If this is the manner in which INEC intends to conduct the 2027 general election, then Nigerians have every reason to be worried about the future of our democracy, especially at a time when the state of our nation is under the microscope of the international community,” Abdullahi said.

Governor Chukwuma Soludo was declared the winner of the Saturday election after sweeping all 21 local government areas.

According to official results:

• Soludo (APGA) – 422,664 votes
• Nicholas Ukachukwu (APC) – 99,445 votes
• Paul Chukwuma (YPP) – 37,753 votes

Sixteen candidates contested the election, with 598,229 voters accredited out of 2,788,864 registered voters. A total of 595,298 votes were cast, while 11,244 were rejected.