The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has faulted the just concluded off-cycle election in Anambra State, saying that “what unfolded in Anambra was, regrettably, a cash-drenched spectacle that was more of a bazaar than an election.”
ADC National Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, in a statement posted on his X handle on Sunday, said the party observed the conduct of the just concluded Anambra gubernatorial election with a deep sense of concern for the electoral process in Nigeria.
He alleged that the election was highly monetized, with the incumbent and his party seen to have participated in several forms and styles of cash-for-votes.
“At polling units across the state, bundles of naira notes changed hands in full view. This was a brazen violation of the Electoral Act. Even more troubling was the apparent silence — and in some instances, visible inaction — of institutions mandated to enforce electoral integrity.
“Security operatives stood by as voters were harassed and compromised, while electoral officials, overwhelmed or indifferent, failed to uphold even the most basic standards.
“If this is the manner in which INEC intends to conduct the 2027 general election, then Nigerians have every reason to be worried about the future of our democracy, especially at a time when the state of our nation is under the microscope of the international community,” Abdullahi said.
He stated that the ADC is committed to building a Nigeria where leadership is earned through integrity, inclusion, and service — not through the crude exchange of cash for votes.
