The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has dismissed claims that it engaged in vote buying during the November 8 Anambra governorship election, insisting that the party’s victory reflects genuine public support.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Wednesday, November 12, APGA National Chairman Sly Ezeokonwa called the allegations “shocking,” stressing that the party lacked the financial resources to manipulate voters.
“The claim that the ruling party was involved in vote buying, I do not agree. I think the best way to describe it is shocking, shocking in the sense that I do not understand the deep pocket that APGA had to control the resources to generate the number of votes that we did,” Ezeokonwa said.
He argued that APGA’s success stemmed from the widespread approval of Governor Charles Soludo’s developmental initiatives rather than monetary inducements.
“There is a hypothesis we tested in this election, and that was to see how much the politics of development can translate into what the governor calls political capital.
“From our campaign trajectory, we saw that when development is brought to the people, they, in turn, show ownership of the process,” he added.
Ezeokonwa highlighted that the campaigns were largely community-driven, with residents across 179 communities and 326 wards organising events, raising resources, and inviting the governor to showcase his achievements.
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“The communities organised themselves, rented canopies, stages, and invited the governor to come speak about his impact.
“At the end of the day, they gathered their legal resources and donated in aid of the campaign. That is what I call ownership. We have never witnessed such a thing in this country,” he said.
He maintained that the party’s re-election was a testament to the credibility of APGA and the strong connection it has established with grassroots communities.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) issued Soludo his certificate of return on Tuesday, confirming his victory.
Soludo polled 422,664 votes, defeating Nicholas Ukachukwu of the APC, who scored 99,445 votes, and Paul Chukwuma of the YPP with 37,753 votes.
Other candidates included John Nwosu (ADC) with 8,208 votes, George Moghalu (LP) with 10,576 votes, and Jude Ezenwafor (PDP) with 1,401 votes.
Out of 2,788,864 registered voters, 598,229 were accredited, and 595,298 votes were cast, with 584,054 valid and 11,244 rejected. A total of 16 political parties participated.
Ezeokonwa concluded that APGA’s victory demonstrates that development-focused governance can generate political support without financial inducements, challenging the notion that electoral success depends on money.