The governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the Saturday’s Anambra State election, Mr. John Nwosu, has rejected the outcome of the poll, alleging that the process was marred by widespread vote-buying and irregularities.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Morning Brief on Monday, Nwosu claimed that the election that returned Governor Chukwuma Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) for a second term was “neither free nor fair,” insisting that the victory was bought with cash inducements.
“The election wasn’t fair; it was a business of vote-buying. I was physically there in my ward where I saw people collecting money before voting,” he alleged. “One of the former treasurers of APGA was seen holding a notebook where voters wrote their names before going into a house to collect money. 99% of the people that voted APGA and APC and other parties collected money ranging from 3,000 naira to N20,000.”
Nwosu accused both the APGA and the All Progressives Congress (APC) of engaging in the illicit practice, claiming that some of their supporters were caught with over ₦70 million allegedly earmarked for vote-buying and other inducements.
“The security agencies apprehended supporters of APGA and APC with huge sums of money and bags of rice. These people should be prosecuted,” he said.
While rejecting the official results declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the ADC candidate questioned the figures announced from several local governments, including his own, saying they did not reflect the true votes cast.
He also dismissed claims that he was criticising the process because he left APGA, insisting that his concern was about integrity and democratic values.
“I left APGA because there was no internal democracy. I have maintained my integrity throughout this election. I had the resources to buy votes, but I refused because it is against my conscience. I am an entrepreneur and a Catholic; I cannot trade my values for political power,” Nwosu explained.
Nwosu advised the government to not overlook electoral offenders. “And my advice to the federal government and all the government agencies that are entrusted with the election is for them to stop sweeping the effect of vote buying under the carpet.”.
Despite his grievances, Nwosu maintained that his political ambition was not a “do-or-die” affair, he also said he is willing to work with anybody for the good of the state.
“Well, you see, the state is supreme. But what is important to me is the process through which a leader emerges. I can always work with anybody for the progress of my state.
“My ambition is not do or die, you know, because I have a job, I’m not a business politician, but I am an ICT entrepreneur. I have a business, I have a source of living.
“But the important thing is to let him emerge in the right way, you know, because I want the process to be reviewed. Because if we continue this way, what it means is that in every election somebody will go ahead and do all illegal things. The moment he emerges, he calls everybody for them to join him and work.
Nwosu also stressed that his party was reviewing the process of the election following which he will announce either to head to court or not.
Professor Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) was declared winner of the November 8 Anambra State governorship election, securing a second term that will run until 2030.
