Anambra Govnor Soludo promise cash reward for wards wey win election for Apga - Wetin electoral law tok

Ahead of di 8 November Anambra State govnorship election, di state govnor Chukwuma Soludo don announce cash reward for di wards wey score di highest votes and win di election for im party, di All Progressives Grand Alliance (Apga).

During one campaign rally for Umunze, Orumba South Local Govment Area on Saturday, 25 October, Oga Soludo bin promise to give im party supporters one million naira if dem win di election for dia wards.

For one video wey don go viral, Soludo confam say wen dem dey campaign for Senate, dem get deal wit pipo wey involve money and dem win for all di wards for Orumba South.

"Wen we wey dey campaign for di Senate, we know say we go win every ward for di South Senatorial Zone, but we still drop some incentives. Any ward wey Apga win receive 1m naira, and we win all di wards for Orumba South.

Ahead of di forthcoming election, e promise to replicate di same tin dem do during di previous election.

"We bin promise each of dis wards 1m naira and next week, we redeem am. Di ward wey come first get 5m naira, di second 3m naira and di third 2m naira, dat na di deal. For November 8, any ward wey win again go receive 1m naira, while di first three performing wards go get 5m naira, 2m naira and 1m naira respectively." Govnor Soludo tok.

Dis im announcement don generate plenty reactions from opposition parties and some Nigerians.

Di African Democratic Congress (ADC) say dis im tok clearly show say Soludo don lose di confidence of Anambra pipo and e show.

Di party National Publicity Secretary Bolaji Abdullahi for one post on X say na only a sitting govnor wey don lose face wit im pipo go openly declare cash for votes wey dey against di electoral law.

"Dis na new level of desperation, wrapped in impunity, and I hope say Inec no dey pretend say dem no see am," e add.

Di National Vice Chairman of di All Progressives Congress for di South-East, Dr Ijeomah Arodiogbu, tok say Soludo action amount to vote-buying and abuse of office.

"Clearly, dis na vote-buying and e dey against di electoral law. E dey force communities to commit dia votes through dia leaders. Di 1m naira offer na just one of many."

Arodiogbu say dem go report Soludo action to Inec, Efcc, police plus oda relevant security agencies.

Labour Party also condemn di govnor action, as dem accuse am of weaponising poverty.

"Dis no dey good for democracy. Why e dey give out money now wey elections dey close? Dis na vote-buying and manipulation. E don fail in governance and now e wan buy legitimacy wit money. We go raise dis mata for di next stakeholders meeting wit Inec," LP National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, tok.

Apga reaction

Meanwhile, tdi National Publicity Secretary for Apga say Govnor Soludo 5 million naira reward for di highest voting ward for Anambra no be vote buying.

Ejimofor Opara for statement tok say wetin opposition parties dey tok no be true, plus di reason of di promise na to encourage healthy competition among di 362 wards for di state.

E add say despite say na ova 2.7 million pipo register to vote for di forthcoming election, na only only 10% of di voters dey decide di fate of elections for di area.

Opara explain say, "Dis no be about vote buying in any way, na way to bring about healthy competition among members of our Party across wards and local govment. Competition wey go translate into increased voter participation, no be vote buying by any stretch of di imagination."

Wetin electoral law tok about wetin Soludo do

Di Electoral Act 2022 describe as offence any pesin wey directly or indirectly, offer to give gift, loan or promise to give money in order to cajole pesin to vote im or her into any elective office as bribery and conspiracy.

Di law say if you promise to pay pesin to vote for you or you pay money and di reason na make di pesin vote for you during election, you don commit offence and if court find you guilty, you dey liable to a maximum fine of 500,000 naira or imprisonment for a term of 12 months or both.

A voter don commit offence of bribery, if e collect money directly or indirectly bifor or during election, or if e agree to vote for pesin wit di promise say e go receive money, gift, loan, or valuable consideration.

Electoral Act 2022 81(4) tok say any pesin wey commit di offence of bribery dey liable on conviction to a maximum fine of 500,000 naira or imprisonment for a term of 12 months or both. (5) Any pesin wey conspire, aid or abet any oda pesin to commit any of di offences under dis Part of dis Act don commit di same offence and e dey liable to di same punishment.

Di law say candidate wey know about di bribery also don commit offence.

Di Electoral act also describe as "Undue Influence" any pesin wey directly or indirectly give or offer to give money for di purpose of corruptly influencing pipo vote afta authority don announce di date of election as offence.

Also, if a voter accept or take money or any oda inducement bifor or during election don commit offence and e dey liable on conviction to a fine of 100,000 naira or imprisonment for a term of 12 months or both.

Meanwhile, di Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) say dem dey 99% ready for di Anambra govnorship election.

During di final phase of di readiness assessment tour for di eastern state, senior officials from di state office bin visit several designated centres across di state wia di Mock Accreditation Exercise dey go on.

Dem monitor di equipment and say evrytin dey work well, di BVAS devices dey function optimally.

Dr. Kenneth Ukeagu, National Commissioner supervising Anambra State, bin say di only tin wey remain na to move staff and and materials go di polling units as almost every oda thing don ready, including security and logistics.

2.8 million registered voters dey expected to participate for dis election, and 16 political parties plus dia candidates go contest for di govnorship seat.