Nicholas Ukachukwu, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the ongoing Anambra Governorship Election, has claimed victory at the polling unit of Peter Obi, the 2023 Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party (LP).
According to results announced at Polling Unit 019, Agulu Ward 11, Anaocha Local Government Area, Ukachukwu polled 73 votes, defeating George Moghalu of the Labour Party, who scored 57 votes. The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) came third with 38 votes.
Obi Decries Rampant Vote-Buying
Earlier, Mr. Obi expressed deep concern over widespread vote-buying across the state, describing it as a serious threat to Nigeria’s democracy.
He lamented that the practice had reached “alarming levels,” with reports indicating that some voters were paid between ₦20,000 and ₦30,000 to influence their choices.
“What you see today is that vote buying is on the scale of ₦20,000 to ₦30,000,” Obi said. “The question I ask is: if you sell your vote for ₦30,000, what are you going to be paid next month? By selling your vote, you’re selling no school, no hospital, no job — you’re selling away your future, and that is very worrisome.”
The former Anambra governor said the monetisation of elections had “deeply eroded public trust” and trapped the nation in a cycle of bad governance and poverty.
He added that the true cost of vote-buying is not the cash exchanged on election day but the collapse of public institutions and essential services that follows.
“People need to understand that when you sell your vote, you are directly endorsing the same hardships — lack of jobs, broken schools, failing hospitals,” he said. “It is not grandstanding; it is the reality of why things don’t work.”
Obi, who has observed elections in other African countries, said the level of brazen inducement witnessed in Nigeria “does not exist elsewhere,” warning that the country’s democracy would continue to deteriorate unless citizens resist the temptation of selling their votes.
