Nwankwo: Anambra poll one of the worst in vote-buying

Vote-buying in the Anambra government election has been adjudged “one of the worst” since Nigeria’s return of democracy in 1999.

Clement Nwankwo, executive director, Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), said this in Awka, the state capital.

He said contrary to how elections should be conducted, the poll was marred by various forms of vote-buying antics.

“The election is very disappointing; this is one of the worst elections that have been conducted in Nigeria since 1999,” he said.

“We are very disappointed with the political parties and the candidates who have spent this much money on elections that should really be a show of citizens’ reference of who governs them next.

“Individuals were being paid from N500 to N5,000.”

He said with such vote-buying antics, candidates who emerge might end up as the worst kind of leaders because “they never really apply some of the resources of the state meant for its development”.

Nwankwo also said it was discovered that some of the ad-hoc staff were not paid their dues.

“Some of the youth corps members have been paid nothing, housed under very poor and inhumane conditions,” he said.

“They should ordinarily be performing their national youth service but decided to make the sacrifice for the country and come for the election, but they have not been treated properly.

“A lot of the policemen have not even been paid monies to buy meals while they are here and some have not even eaten for more than a day. So, you shouldn’t bring to be part of the election process under such desperate and uncaring condition.

“The police promised 26,000 personnel but apparently not delivering on it because in several areas, police personnel were absent. But the positive part of the whole process is that the police behave reasonably well and the fear of over-policing and intimation of voters did not play out.”

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been edited to reflect new facts.