The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has defended Anambra State governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, following backlash over his recent announcement of a cash reward scheme for party wards ahead of the November 8 governorship election.
Governor Soludo, who is also the APGA candidate in the upcoming election, had during a campaign rally in Umunze, Orumba South Local Government Area (LGA) of the state, on Saturday, promised a N1 million reward for each ward won by the party, with additional cash prizes for the top three performing wards.
“When we were campaigning for the Senate, we knew we were going to win every ward in the South Senatorial Zone, but we still had some incentives,” Soludo told supporters.
“Any ward that APGA won received N1 million, and we won all the wards in Orumba South. We promised each of these wards N1 million, and next week, we will redeem it. The ward that comes first will get N5 million, the second N3 million, and the third N2 million. That was the deal. For November 8, any ward that wins again will receive N1 million, while the first three performing wards will get N5 million, N2 million, and N1 million respectively,” he added.
The governor’s statement, made in the presence of party loyalists, has since drawn sharp criticism from opposition parties and civil society organisations (CSOs), who described the move as an open inducement and a violation of the Electoral Act.
However, in a statement on Sunday, APGA’s National Publicity Secretary, Ejimofor Opara, defended Soludo’s position, insisting that the initiative was not a form of vote-buying but a strategic effort to tackle voter apathy and encourage healthy political participation.
“If you take a close look at elections in Anambra over the years, you would notice a high level of voter apathy. For instance, in 2021, Anambra had 2.7 million registered voters, yet less than two hundred thousand of that number decided that election, that’s if you add the total votes gotten by all the political parties,” Opara said.
He explained that the governor’s plan was to “initiate healthy competition among members” and “translate into increased voter participation, not vote-buying by any stretch of the imagination.”
“We know, and even the opposition knows, that APGA is the dominant party and does not require any kind of inducement to win elections here. The converse is the reality for the opposition in Anambra. Recall the popular Ukwulu woman who rejected monetary inducement to vote for another party that isn’t APGA. That incident remains a classic example of how Ndi Anambra cannot be bought during consequential elections,” Opara added.
He further noted that the party was mindful of what he described as the “complacency of the majority”, a situation where people assume others will vote, leading to low turnout. According to him, APGA’s ultimate goal is to mobilise supporters and achieve a one-million-vote target in the upcoming polls.
“To achieve this, appropriate incentives in the form of healthy competition have to be put in place. If anyone finds this disturbing, then there is something about voter apathy that works in their strategic interest,” Opara said.
Governor Soludo’s promise has since generated heated political debate, with opposition parties accusing him of indirectly influencing voters while his supporters argue that the initiative is a motivational tool aimed at strengthening APGA’s internal structure.
The controversy comes at a time when political activities are peaking in Anambra State, with 16 candidates from 16 political parties vying for the governorship seat.
Soludo, who is seeking a second term, faces opponents from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), All Progressives Congress (APC), and several smaller parties.
