The government of Anambra State has denied spending N3.5 billion to buy votes in the state’s recently concluded House of Assembly election.
In the state, the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, won 17 of the 30 seats, while the Labour Party, LP, won eight. The YPP and the PDP received three and two seats, respectively.
Prior to the election, an Onitsha-based human rights group claimed that the state government spent N3.5 billion to buy votes in order to maintain control of the state legislature.
But Governor Chukwuma Soludo, through his press secretary, Mr Christian Aburime described the allegation as the figment of the imagination of the authors and wondered how such a thing could be possible under the prevailing economic situation in the country.
Aburime said: “The attention of the Government of Anambra State has been drawn to a false publication being peddled in some sections of the media. The report alleging that Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo-led administration spent a whooping 3.5 billion naira to execute the State House of Assembly election is not only untrue, but highly despicable and illogical.
“The allegation is baseless against the background that it is coming at a time of acute shortage of cash due to the Federal Government’s naira redesign policy, which sadly exposes the devilish intentions of the writer(s).”
He urged the people of the state to disregard the allegation, stating that the people behind it had been known to be “serial blackmailers over the years who do not serve any useful purpose to the society”.
According to the press secretary, Governor Soludo does not need to buy votes to win elections, describing him as a democrat who enjoys the overwhelming support of the people of Anambra State.