INEC logo

Jethro Ibileke/Awka

Massive inducement of voters with money has characterised the ongoing Anambra state gubernatorial election.

The inducement which was reported at several polling centers, ranged from as low as N500 to N2000.

Some voters at Okpuno Hall, Awka south LGA, complained of attampts by some party agents who wanted to bribe them with N500 to switch their allegiance in favour of candidate of their party.

This reporter also ran into a boisterous crowd at All Saints Primary School, along Ifite Amudo road, where Awka ward 2 is located, sharing N500 to voters who had cast their votes.

Attempt by a reporter to take photograph of the incident incurred the wrath of the people who mobbed him and insisted on deleting the photograph.

It took intervention by security operatives who wrestled him from their grip and also secured​ the release of his phone.

At Umuramma Sq1, Awka ward 5, units 1 to 6, where there was a large turnout​ of voters, a particular party was said to have shared N200 to each voter who voted in it’s favour.

One of the voters​ who gave her name simply as Florence, confided in this reporter that she has to “collect her own fair share of the state cake,” for her effort to defy the sun to vote.

A group of voters at Nkwo polling centre, were also caught on camera struggling to receive their own inducement in form of money and soft drink.

When contacted, the Head of Voter Education and Publicity of INEC in the state, Mr. Leo Nkedife, directed the reporter to contact the Commission’s hot lines, for security operatives to be deployed there.