The Government of Anambra State under the watch of Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, spent a humongous sum of N3.5 billion in a bid to win yesterday’s House of Assembly Poll, the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) has alleged.

Giving a breakdown in a report released shortly after midnight on Friday, March 17, 2023, in Onitsha, Eastern Nigeria, the group said:

“On 9th March 2023, whopping N20m was given to each of the 30 State ruling Party (APGA) legislative candidates for March 18, 2023 House of Assembly Poll, for cash or material vote-buying totaling N600m.

“On 10th March 2023, each of the State 21 Local Government Areas’ Caretaker Committee Chairmen was given N30m for cash or material vote-buying totaling N630m.

“On Monday, 13th March 2023, the Gov of Anambra directed all commercial banks and residents to accept the use of old naira notes of N500 and N1000 in line with CBN directive.

“The Gov’s directive was later found not to be unconnected with the ongoing wasteful spending spree by the State Government for vote-buying and procurement of the State’s 30 Assembly legislative seats.

“That this night being Election Eve of 18th March 2023, not less than N2b cash reportedly found its way into Anambra State and shared among traditional rulers, town union presidents, key market and religious leaders, etc; for purpose of cash vote-buying.

“That the said whopping cash sum was mobilized for the State Government by contractors and commercial bank mangers particularly those banks where the State Government has corporate business interests or dealings.

“That the said whopping cash sum was mainly in old N500 and N1,000 denominations and was being distributed this night for tomorrow’s State Assembly poll cash vote-buying to all the State’s 4,608 polling units/326 electoral wards at N300,000 per polling unit or N4m-N6m per ward depending on the size of the ward and number of its polling units.

“That in a small community with 14-15 polling units, for instance, N4m was being shared while in those with three or four wards, N12m and N16m, respectively, was being shared.

“That the State Public Funds for cash vote-buying was being shared and kept in the hands of town union leaders/traditional rulers in rural areas or Government stakeholders or “urban landlord associations’ PGs’.

“That each police DPO and Area Commander posted to the State was reported to have received N500,000 and N1m respectively so as to turn blind eyes in the event of voter suppression and result fixing as well as cooking up trumped up charges against protesting citizens and opposition party agents or supporters as well as aiding and abetting state actor thuggery violence against them.

“That the PGs, traditional rulers and other community and religious stakeholders have been adequately mobilized monetarily to the tune of millions of naira each.

“That top INEC officials including the State REC, the National Commissioner in charge and the Collation Officer(s) are likely to have been captured in the wasteful spending spree by the State Government; more so when it has been alleged that the National Commissioner in charge has been in the know of what has been going on.

“That he was said to have arrived Awka INEC Headquarters on Wednesday, 15th March 2023 and held closed door meetings with his subordinates, after which it was further alleged that he attended a partisan meeting with the Gov of the State at the night of the same day.

“That from our rough calculations, not less than N3.5b from the State coffers was likely to have been wastefully or lavishly spent by the Government and Governor of Anambra State on cash and material vote-buying between 9th and night of 17th March 2023”.

Intersociety in the report signed by Emeka Umeagbalasi (Board Chair); Chinwe Umeche Esquire

(Head, Democracy and Good Governance Program); Obianuju Joy Igboeli Esquire (Head, Civil Liberties and Rule of Law); and Chidinma Udegbunam Esquire (Head, Campaign and Publicity Department) urged Anambra citizens to “rise with strong voice to demand for accountability from the State Government to explain the rationale behind squandering of such huge state funds on electoral frivolities whereas the State road network has remained in shambles.”

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