Soludo Accuses Politicians of Sleeping in INEC Offices to Rig Anambra Governorship Election

|By Chinwendu Nwani

Anambra State Governor, Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, has accused some politicians in the state of camping at the offices of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in a bid to influence the outcome of next month’s governorship election.

Soludo made the allegation on Monday during a panel discussion in Abuja themed “Innovation in Electoral Technology 2015–2025.”

The governor, expressing concern over what he described as a culture of electoral manipulation, said some politicians in Anambra have abandoned genuine campaigning for backdoor tactics aimed at undermining the credibility of the poll.

“Some politicians are sleeping in INEC,” Soludo said. “They don’t believe that people can just cast their votes, the votes will be counted, and results announced. No — there must be some wayo or wuruwuru somewhere. That mindset is our biggest problem.”

The former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, who described his transition from technocracy to politics as a “privilege,” said the difference between the past and present electoral processes is “like day and night.”

He urged politicians to rebuild public trust in the electoral system by embracing integrity and transparency rather than attempting to compromise the system.

“Politicians need to do a lot more,” he added. “We must move away from this Nigerian factor that believes nothing can happen without manipulation. We all have work to do to strengthen democracy.”

The Anambra governorship election is expected to hold next month, with political parties intensifying campaigns across the state.