Get Guardian on GoogleThe African Democratic Congress (ADC) says it will meet in the coming days to determine whether to challenge the outcome of the just-concluded Anambra State governorship election in court.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had on Saturday declared the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and incumbent governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, as the winner of the poll.
Responding to an inquiry from The Guardian, the ADC’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, said in a WhatsApp message: “We will decide that in the coming days.”
However, in a statement issued on Sunday, Abdullahi expressed the party’s dissatisfaction with the conduct of the election, describing it as “heavily monetized” and a process that undermined democratic values.
According to the statement, the ADC accused the incumbent and his party of engaging in widespread cash-for-votes while criticizing the silence of security agencies and the inaction of electoral officials, which it said “bordered on collusion.”
The party stated: “The African Democratic Congress has observed the conduct of the just concluded Anambra gubernatorial election with a deep sense of concern for the electoral process in Nigeria.
“What unfolded in Anambra was, regrettably, a cash-drenched spectacle that was more of a bazaar than an election. This undermines the very essence of democracy.
“We wish to state categorically that, as has been widely reported and clearly shown to Nigerians and the international community, this election was highly monetized, with the incumbent and his party seen to have participated in several forms and styles of cash-for-votes.
“At polling units across the state, bundles of naira notes changed hands in full view. This was a brazen violation of the Electoral Act, whose foundation had been laid by the Governor himself well ahead of the election.”
The statement further criticized security operatives and electoral officials for failing to act decisively:
“Even more troubling was the apparent silence — and in some instances, visible inaction — of institutions mandated to enforce electoral integrity.
“Security operatives stood by as voters were harassed and compromised, while electoral officials, overwhelmed or indifferent, failed to uphold even the most basic standards.
“If this is the manner in which INEC intends to conduct the 2027 general election, then Nigerians have every reason to be worried about the future of our democracy, especially at a time when the state of our nation is under the microscope of the international community.”
Reaffirming its commitment to democratic integrity, the ADC added: “On our part, the ADC remains committed to building a Nigeria where leadership is earned through integrity, inclusion, and service — not through the crude exchange of cash for votes.”
