John Nwosu, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate in the just-concluded Anambra State election, has rejected the outcome, describing it as “a ruse and total subversion of the people’s will.”
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had on Sunday declared Professor Chukwuma Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) winner with 422,664 votes. The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Nicholas Ukachukwu, trailed with 99,445 votes, while Nwosu finished fifth with 8,208 votes.
In a statement made available to journalists, Nwosu alleged that the election was marred by widespread vote buying and open financial inducement at polling units across the state.
“In almost every polling unit, voters were openly induced with cash ranging from ₦3,000 to ₦20,000, turning the entire process into a marketplace rather than a democratic exercise,” he said.
“This is a national embarrassment and a direct assault on the integrity of our democracy. It was a win bought with cash and a loss for democracy.”
The ADC candidate maintained that true victory should be measured by the integrity of the process, not just by the final tally.
Nwosu lamented that Nigeria’s democracy continues to suffer from a culture of corruption during elections, urging citizens and leaders to reject vote trading.
“An election riddled with manipulation and vote buying cannot represent the people’s voice,” he said.
“When votes are bought, the future is sold. The conscience of our democracy has been wounded.”
He thanked members of his party and campaign team for their loyalty and courage “in the face of intimidation and inducement,” calling for collective action to restore fairness and justice to Nigeria’s electoral system.
