Former Labour Party presidential candidate and two-term Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, publicly attributed the vote-buying and selling reported during Saturday’s Anambra governorship election to bad governance.
Speaking after casting his vote on Saturday, at Polling Unit 019, Agulu, in Anaocha Local Government Area, Obi expressed disappointment over the practice, which according to him involved the payments of ₦15,000 to ₦30,000 per vote. He added that the current economic challenges in the country drive citizens to compromise their democratic rights.
It is sad that bad governance is fueling vote buying and selling. For an unemployed youth who sells his vote for N30,000, what will he be paid next month when there is no election? By selling your vote, you are selling no school, no hospital, no jobs and selling away your future. This is worrisome – Obi
His remarks were made following reports from observers and opposing candidates that the Anambra State elections outcome, despite the improved technological systems provided by the INEC, was marked by voter inducement.
Obi framed the issue not just as electoral corruption but as a consequence of systemic national neglect. Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the state has previously dismissed the claims of vote-buying, urging those making the allegations to provide concrete evidence.
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