EFCC Arrests Three Alleged APGA Agents Over Vote Buying in Anambra Election

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested three suspected vote buyers alleged to be agents of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) during Saturday’s governorship election in Anambra State.

The suspects were identified as Emeka Ilokasia, apprehended at Ward 2 in Njikoka Local Government; Nwachukwu Loretta, arrested at Ward 2 (008) in Awkuzu, Oyi Local Government; and Emuka Chuwudi, picked up at Umunachi Village in Dunukofia Local Government.

According to the EFCC, the trio were caught in possession of items suspected to be used for voter inducement. The Commission stated that they would be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.

The arrests followed reports of widespread vote buying linked to agents of the ruling APGA across several polling units. Situation Room observer Dimma Nwobi confirmed incidents of cash-for-votes, prompting the EFCC to intensify its monitoring efforts throughout the election.

The governorship poll, which began at 8 a.m., was largely peaceful across Anambra’s 21 local government areas, though cases of voter inducement and low turnout were observed. Minor technical glitches affected the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), but voting continued without major disruptions.

Governor Charles Soludo denied allegations of organized vote buying by his party, accusing opposition groups of attempting to discredit the electoral process. Meanwhile, Labour Party’s Peter Obi urged voters to reject monetary inducement, describing it as a betrayal of their collective future.

Opposition candidates maintained their accusations against APGA. ADC’s John Nwosu and APC’s Nicholas Ukachukwu alleged coordinated vote buying and intimidation of their party agents in several polling units.

Security operatives maintained a strong presence across the state, particularly in Onitsha, where the Niger Bridge was partially closed to ensure safe movement of election personnel and materials.

Voting ended peacefully, with sorting and counting commencing around 2 p.m. in most polling units, including Amawbia in Awka South Local Government.

By evening, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had uploaded 98.99 percent of polling unit results to its Result Viewing Portal, reflecting 5,662 of 5,720 units where voting took place.

INEC’s data shows 2,802,790 registered voters were expected to participate across 5,718 polling units, with 16 candidates in the race. Contestants included Governor Soludo (APGA), Nicholas Ukachukwu (APC), Paul Chukwuma (YPP), John Nwosu (ADC), and George Moghalu (LP).

The election also featured several female candidates, including Ndidi Olieh (NRM) and female deputy governorship aspirants such as Veronica Okaro (LP) and Faith Obi (ZLP).