The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has criticized the conduct of the Anambra 2025 governorship election, describing it as a “cash-soaked affair” that could serve as a dress rehearsal for widespread electoral manipulation in the 2027 general elections.
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In a statement issued on Sunday by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party accused the incumbent governor and his party of orchestrating widespread vote buying that turned the election into what it called a “marketplace of democracy.”
“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,” Abdullahi stated.
According to the ADC, bundles of cash were openly exchanged for votes across numerous polling units, while security operatives and electoral officials allegedly watched without intervention.
“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,” the statement read.
The party alleged that voters were influenced, coerced, and in some cases harassed, while state institutions responsible for safeguarding the integrity of elections failed to act.
“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,” the ADC said.
The party warned that the events in Anambra pose a serious threat to the credibility of Nigeria’s democracy ahead of the 2027 elections, which it said are already under international observation.
“It is vital that this trend is confronted and halted now, before it becomes normalized at the national level,” the ADC cautioned.
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