The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has uploaded 75.86% of the Anambra State governorship election results on its Result Viewing Portal (IReV).
As of 5:10 p.m. on Saturday, results from 4,339 of the 5,720 polling units across the South-East state had been posted on the portal, Channels Television reports. This comes just four hours after voting concluded across the state’s 21 local government areas.
The election, which commenced around 8 a.m., was largely peaceful. However, reports emerged of low voter turnout and alleged vote-buying. Several candidates, including incumbent Governor Charles Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and Nicholas Ukachukwu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), raised concerns about potential irregularities.
Soludo, after casting his vote, warned of attempts to manipulate results during collation. “We hear one party has even had meetings with INEC to delay result uploads, presumably to influence outcomes,” he said.
Former presidential candidate and Labour Party (LP) member, Peter Obi, echoed the concerns, highlighting the risks of vote-buying. “Selling your vote is selling away your schools, hospitals, jobs, and your future. Such practices are alarming and must be stopped,” Obi said.
Observers from the Situation Room, including Dimma Nwobi, also noted instances of vote-buying during the exercise.
INEC stated that 2,802,790 registered voters were eligible to participate. A total of 16 candidates are contesting the election, including Soludo (APGA), Ukachukwu (APC), Paul Chukwuma (YPP), George Moghalu (LP), and Jude Ezenwafor (PDP).
