Friday, October 31, 2025 - The Anambra State Government has explained that Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s recent assurance to members of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, was aimed at tackling voter apathy, not engaging in vote buying as claimed by opposition parties.
In a statement on Thursday, the Governor’s Press Secretary,
Mr. Christian Aburime, clarified that the governor’s comments at a political
rally were being wrongly interpreted.
He stated that Soludo’s promise to reward wards where APGA
performs strongly in the November 8 election was meant to encourage party
canvassers to boost voter turnout, rather than offer financial inducements to
voters.
“It is essential to understand the context of the statement.
The incentives Governor Soludo referred to are legitimate and consistent with
democratic practices worldwide,” Aburime said.
He explained that the governor’s message was specifically
directed at APGA members and grassroots mobilizers—who represent less than five
percent of the electorate and was aimed at motivating them to encourage wider
voter participation in the election.
“In politics globally, including in advanced democracies
like the United States, parties pay canvassers before elections. In our case,
we said any ward that delivers will be rewarded afterwards. This is not vote
buying,” Aburime explained.
Quoting the governor, he added: “Don’t sit at home and say
Soludo has won.
We have to win when you have voted. We in APGA stand for one
man, one vote, transparent, free, and fair election. We are going to cooperate
with INEC to make sure this is the freest and most credible election ever
conducted.”
Aburime emphasized that Governor Soludo is fully committed
to ensuring transparent and credible elections, noting that his
administration’s priority is addressing voter apathy, which remains one of the
major challenges confronting Nigeria’s democracy.
“The governor’s call is for voters to come out, cast their
votes, and ensure results are counted and announced transparently. The idea of
rewarding canvassers after the election is simply to encourage greater
participation,” he said.
He described the opposition’s allegations of vote buying as
“groundless, misleading, and politically motivated,” stressing that Soludo’s
track record of achievements and national recognition speaks for itself.
“A governor with such a track record of achievements doesn’t
need to buy votes to win re-election,” Aburime stated.
With the November 8 election fast approaching, he further
appealed to all political parties to prioritize discussions on issues and
policies that affect the lives of Anambra residents, rather than indulging in
“mischief and needless distractions”
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