The Anambra State House of Assembly by-election in Onitsha North 1 Constituency has been overshadowed by widespread allegations of vote buying involving the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, and the African Democratic Congress, ADC.
The election was necessitated by the death of the former lawmaker, Honourable Justice Azuka.
APGA is seeking to retain the seat, while the ADC is backing the late legislator’s widow, Justina Azuka, as its candidate.
Although the contest is considered minor, the stakes are high for both parties. Governor Chukwuma Soludo is pushing to consolidate APGA’s dominance ahead of the November governorship poll, while ADC is testing its political weight with support from one of its coalition leaders, Peter Obi.
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Reports from polling areas in Omagba and Osuma wards indicate that party agents were openly distributing cash to voters.
Witnesses alleged that APGA was offering N10,000 per voter, while ADC was distributing N5,000.
A voter, Ikechukwu Orji, confirmed the development.
He said: “So far the election is going well, I have not witnessed any violence but here in Omagba and Osuma wards, we have seen party agents openly canvassing for votes. It is not a hidden thing, APGA is paying N10,000 per vote while ADC is paying N5,000.”
Another source, who declined to be identified, suggested that the funds were being provided by the state governor and Mr Obi.
He said: “The money is surely coming from both Soludo and Peter Obi. The candidates themselves do not have such money to spare.”
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has yet to issue an official statement on the allegations, though observers have raised concerns over the credibility of the process.
Vote buying has long been a recurring issue in Nigerian elections, with parties and candidates accused of exchanging money and gifts for electoral support, despite the practice being outlawed.
In this by-election, the practice appears widespread. Residents reported seeing agents moving from house to house, persuading voters with cash offers before they arrived at polling stations.
Civil society groups monitoring the election have called for urgent intervention.
A representative of one organisation said: “If the integrity of the process is compromised by vote trading, it undermines democracy at the grassroots level.”
Governor Soludo has not publicly commented on the allegations, but APGA officials insisted their campaign was focused on mobilising voter turnout.
ADC representatives also denied orchestrating vote buying, saying their candidate was relying on goodwill and sympathy votes.
The police confirmed that they had deployed additional personnel to monitor the election, warning that anyone caught engaging in financial inducement would face prosecution.
Meanwhile, some residents expressed dismay at the unfolding situation. One voter in Osuma ward said: “We want to choose leaders freely, but the money being shared is tempting for many people given the hardship in the country.”
The outcome of the election is expected to be closely watched, not only because of the seat at stake but also as a test of political strength ahead of November’s governorship race.
Election observers have urged INEC to thoroughly investigate reports of financial inducement and take steps to ensure that the final results reflect the will of the people.
The by-election remains ongoing, with results expected once collation concludes across the affected polling units.
