The African Democratic Congress, ADC, candidate for the November 8, governorship election in Anambra State, John Chuma Nwosu, has called attention of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to what he described as the flagrant breach of the Electoral Act 2022.
Nwosu alleged that the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA-led government in the state has been coercing communities to make donations to Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s election campaign, stressing that the spate of donations constitute serious violation of the electoral laws.
Speaking to journalists on his observation in Abuja, Sunday, the ADC governorship faithful declared: “I’m aware of the reports that some groups and town unions have made humongous donations to Governor Soludo and APGA to purportedly support his governorship election campaign.
“Such donations raise real concerns in the context of the extant Electoral Act 2022, as well as morality and rule of law. I have no problem with individuals making donations to the governor, so long as it is not on quid-pro-quo basis, as some are suggesting.
“If the deal is that people are given padded and bloated contracts on the condition that they return the extras as campaign donations, then it is wrong, and a subterfuge that borders on criminality.
“Also, if such disdainful displays of round-tripping donations are particularly being done by some cash-strapped local governments, that also raises issues of conflict of interest and culpability.
“It is on record that virtually all the local governments in Anambra have nothing to show from the current governor and his government relative to the funds they have received from the federal government.”
Nwosu said well-meaning individuals from various communities in the state have been inundating him with calls to complain about the round-tripping donations, stressing that the development would compound the governance challenges for the next governor.
Nwosu maintained that it was not only a charade for local government councils to be fueling huge donations to the governor, but also a blatant display of official dishonesty.
“Given what transpired during the last by-elections, we know that the APGA- led government has gone rogue.
“At no time in the history of governorship elections in Anambra State was there this level of vote buying and public dishonesty.
“We condemn this open desperation to hoodwink the voting public to engage routinely and submit to vote-buying, which is illegal according to the Electoral Act.
“So, whatever machinations these recent spates of opaque donations represent, those who sell their votes must remember that they are selling their patrimony, freedom, and democratic rights,” Nwosu stated.
The governorship hopeful remarked that elections should be won by popular votes and not through inducement, coercion or purchased by a governor faced with popular rejection due to his visibly poor performance.