Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has sent a warm message of congratulations to his Anambra counterpart, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, following his re-election for another four-year term in Saturday’s governorship poll.
Otti described Soludo’s victory as a “people’s mandate reaffirmed through trust and hard work,” saying the landslide showed how deeply the people believed in his vision for Anambra.
He urged the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) leader to use the new mandate to deepen reforms and expand development across the state.
He praised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for conducting what he called a “largely peaceful and timely exercise,” stressing that the health of Nigeria’s democracy depends on credible elections where “the people can truly choose their leaders without fear or favour.”
Governor Otti called for reconciliation among political rivals and urged Soludo to “extend the olive branch and build bridges of cooperation with every son and daughter of Anambra willing to serve.” He prayed for “wisdom and courage” in the governor’s second term, which runs till 2030.
ADC Candidate Rejects Results, Alleges Vote Buying
But the mood was far from cheery in other quarters. The governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Mr. John Nwosu, rejected the outcome, alleging massive vote-buying and irregularities across polling units.
In an interview on Channels Television’s Morning Brief on Monday, Nwosu claimed that the poll was “neither free nor fair,” insisting that “votes were exchanged for cash like a market transaction.”
He alleged that supporters of APGA and the All Progressives Congress (APC) distributed cash ranging from ₦3,000 to ₦20,000 to voters in several wards, and that some were caught with over ₦70 million earmarked for inducement. “Security agencies apprehended some of them with bags of rice and money,” he added.
Nwosu questioned figures announced from some local governments, including his own, saying they “did not reflect the true votes cast.”
He urged security agencies and anti-graft bodies to prosecute offenders and end what he called “the dangerous culture of vote-buying that erodes democracy.”
“My Ambition Is Not Do-Or-Die”
While maintaining his stance, Nwosu said his decision to contest was driven by integrity, not desperation. “I’m an entrepreneur, not a career politician,” he said. “I refused to buy votes because it’s against my conscience. My ambition is not do-or-die.”
He confirmed that his party was reviewing the election and would decide whether to challenge the results in court. Still, he added that he was open to working with any administration that placed Anambra’s progress above politics.
Many observers have praised INEC’s improved logistics and the early release of results, but there are those who still worry over the recurring challenge of vote-buying and the moral cost to its democracy.
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