Soludo casts his vote,and His comments after voting

Chukwuma Soludo

Chukwuma Soludo, Governor of Anambra State, cast his ballot at Polling Unit 002, Ofiyi Square, Isuofia Ward, in the Aguata Local Government Area on the day of the senatorial by-election for Anambra South. (Punch)

He arrived at his unit and carried out his civic duty while noting the early turnout and functioning of materials at the polling centre. (The Telegraph Nigeria)

After casting his vote, Soludo addressed reporters and made the following key points:

• He expressed approval of the electoral process so far, praising the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for preparedness and materials arriving on time. (Punch)

• He stressed the importance of citizens coming out to vote, remarking on the turnout and the peaceful conduct of the election. (The Telegraph Nigeria)

• Despite the positive tone, he raised concerns over reported incidents of violence and disruption in parts of the state — notably alleging that the State Commissioner for Environment was assaulted in Ezinifite, Nnewi South LGA, by political thugs while the by-election was underway. (TheCable)

• On vote buying, he pointed out reports that the election was being affected by inducements (N3,000 to N20,000) in certain areas, lamenting how this undermines the credibility of the process. (Businessday NG)

• He concluded by reiterating: “Let the people vote and let their vote count. … But we are confident that at the end of the day, the people’s will must prevail.” (The Eagle Online)

Context

This by-election was triggered by the passing of the late Ifeanyi Ubah who formerly represented Anambra South in the Senate. (NEWSVERGE)

While the polling unit where Governor Soludo voted was reported to be peaceful and functional, his comments reveal there were incidents elsewhere in the state which he described as “unfortunate but predictable”. (The Eagle Online)