A shocking post-election investigation has uncovered systematic vote trading operations involving two major political parties during the recent Anambra State governorship election. The comprehensive report by Kimpact Development Initiative (KDI) reveals disturbing patterns of electoral malpractice that spanned across every ward in the state.
Widespread Electoral Malpractice Exposed
The KDI report, presented during a press conference in Abuja, documents how the All Progressives Congress (APC) and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) participated in massive vote trading activities across all 326 wards in Anambra State. This systematic compromise of electoral integrity occurred despite an improvement in voter participation compared to previous elections.
Voter turnout showed significant improvement, reaching 21.34 percent compared to the mere 10.26 percent recorded during the 2021 election. This increase demonstrates growing citizen engagement with the democratic process, though the gains were undermined by persistent structural weaknesses in the electoral system.
Procedural Failures and Security Lapses
Election day operations faced multiple challenges that affected the voting process. According to KDI's Election Day Data Room analysis, while most INEC officials arrived at polling units on time, the actual commencement of accreditation and voting was significantly delayed. The process began at 9:13 am on average, representing a forty-three minute delay from the official 8:30 am start time.
The report identified several factors contributing to these delays, including ad-hoc staff struggling to locate their assigned polling units and security personnel arriving late. In one concerning incident in Oyi Local Government Area, no security officers were present well past the scheduled voting start time, creating an environment vulnerable to manipulation.
Compromised Ballot Secrecy and Vote Trading
The most alarming findings concern the systematic compromise of ballot secrecy that facilitated widespread vote trading. Observers reported that many polling units were structurally arranged in ways that eliminated voter privacy, enabling party agents to monitor how individuals marked their ballots.
Vote trading occurred in multiple forms, ranging from direct cash payments to smaller inducements like snacks and beverages. The practice was so pervasive that reports emerged from every single ward in the state, indicating a coordinated effort to influence electoral outcomes through financial means rather than political merit.
Security personnel present at polling units often failed to intervene when vote buying occurred in plain sight. In some cases, officers were observed watching violations unfold without taking action, highlighting inadequate enforcement of electoral laws.
Violence and Security Concerns
KDI documented 35 separate incidents of election-related violence throughout Anambra State. These included group clashes, voter intimidation, ballot box snatching, and one fatal shooting in Orumba South Local Government Area. Despite these security breaches, the broader election environment remained relatively calm compared to previous electoral cycles in the region.
The report concludes with comprehensive recommendations for improving future elections, urging INEC to strengthen logistical coordination, enforce proper polling unit layouts, and conduct thorough audits of voter data. Security agencies were advised to adopt more transparent deployment models and improve enforcement protocols, while political parties were encouraged to provide better training for their agents regarding acceptable conduct at polling units.
Civil society organizations and local communities were also highlighted as crucial actors in safeguarding ballot secrecy and rejecting practices that compromise free choice in elections. The findings serve as a stark reminder of the work needed to protect Nigeria's democratic processes from systematic manipulation.
