Cynthia Ezegwu
Officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Saturday arrived in Anambra State to monitor the governorship election and ensure compliance with electoral laws, particularly against vote buying.
EFCC operatives were sighted at the Community Primary School, Amawbia, in Awka South Local Government Area, observing proceedings as residents turned out to vote for their next governor.
However, one of First Daily’s correspondents, Charles Opurum, captured a scene at Central School, Utuh, where a woman was covertly accompanied by a party agent to the voting cubicle—an act that contravenes electoral guidelines.
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In the video, the agent was heard asking, “Ego ole?” (meaning “how much?”) before being confronted by election officials for trespassing.
“She is the one who asked me to accompany her to show her, and I have every right to follow her,” the agent shouted, drawing outrage from voters and fellow party agents. The commotion temporarily disrupted voting at the centre.
An election observer, Dimma Nwobi of the Situation Room, also raised concerns over widespread vote buying in parts of the state.
“We came from Nnewi North, and nothing was happening there as of 8:15 a.m. because INEC and police officials were still waiting to be transported to their polling units,” she said.
“At some other locations, party agents were collecting voters’ cards, filling forms for them, and later dropping them in the ballot box after negotiations. It is sad.”
According to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), 2,802,790 registered voters are expected to cast their ballots across 5,718 polling units in the state’s 21 local government areas.
The election, which is taking place across three senatorial districts, features 16 candidates, including incumbent Governor Chukwuma Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA); Nicholas Ukachukwu of the All Progressives Congress (APC); Paul Chukwuma of the Young Progressives Party (YPP); George Moghalu of the Labour Party (LP); and Jude Ezenwafor of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).