Yiaga Africa Decries Rampant Vote Buying in Anambra Poll, Calls for Electoral Reforms

Civil society organisation, Yiaga Africa, has expressed strong concern over widespread incidents of vote buying and poor logistics that marred Saturday’s governorship election in Anambra State.

The group described the development as a “major threat” to credible elections and a setback to Nigeria’s democratic process.

In a post-election statement issued on Sunday by its Executive Director, Samson Itodo, Yiaga Africa noted that many polling units did not open on time, while open vote trading was observed across the state.

“The fact that less than half of the polling units were operational at the official start time shows that INEC must intensify efforts to address the persistent logistical challenges that continue to undermine Nigeria’s elections,” the group stated.

Itodo said the disturbing cases of vote buying “erode equality in election competition and diminish the legitimacy of electoral victory,” urging political parties to shun the commercialization of the process.

“We condemn the observed incidents of vote-buying, which characterised the election as a major threat to the credibility of the electoral process,” the statement added.

Yiaga Africa further lamented the low voter turnout, particularly among the youth population, describing it as a worrisome trend that calls for urgent national reflection.

“The persistent decline in turnout, especially among young voters, raises serious questions about the health and legitimacy of Nigeria’s democracy,” it added.

Despite the irregularities, Yiaga Africa confirmed that the official results announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) aligned with its independent estimates obtained through the Process and Results Verification for Transparency (PRVT) mechanism.

The organisation commended voters and security personnel for the largely peaceful conduct of the exercise, adding that the announced outcome reflected the will of the people.

“Because the official results fall within the estimated ranges, governorship contestants, parties, and voters should have confidence that the official results reflect the ballots cast,” Yiaga Africa said.

INEC had earlier declared Governor Chukwuma Soludo, candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), as winner of the November 8, 2025 governorship election in Anambra State.