The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nicholas Ukachukwu, has defeated Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo in his polling unit as counting begins in the Anambra gubernatorial election.
Early arrival of voting materials and personnel led to early commencement of voting exercise in the election said to be a two-horse race.
The APC candidate voted at exactly 11:46 am at Umudimala 1, PU 011, Osumenyi Ward 2, Nnewi South LG,
The INEC presiding officer, Esther Ojukwu, who announced the results said Ukachukwu scored 126 votes to defeat Soludo, who scored six.
Ukachukwu had earlier raised concerns over alleged vote buying and intimidation of his party’s agents at various polling centres across the state.
The politician made the accusation shortly after casting his vote at Polling Unit 012, Osumenyi Ward 2, on Saturday.
The candidate described the rising cases of vote buying as a grave threat to democracy, blaming both buyers and sellers for the trend.
He said, “If there’s no seller, there cannot be a buyer. Some people have chosen to sell their conscience, which is even worse than those buying votes. When you give up your right for money, you lose your voice as a citizen. You can’t cry later. Society must be blamed for encouraging this.”
Ukachukwu also alleged that one of his party’s agents had been assaulted while monitoring the election, describing the act as intimidation aimed at disrupting their participation.
He said, “There have been incidents where people are being beaten up. It’s a form of bullying, and though it may seem right to some today, power changes hands. God gives power to whomever He chooses.”
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APC Candidate Defeats Soludo in His Polling Unit
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