John Nwosu, the candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the 8 November governorship election in Anambra State, has described the reported donations by citizens for the re-election of the incumbent governor as worrisome.
Mr Nwosu, in a statement in Awka on Sunday, said that the practice raised a serious question concerning the nation’s electoral laws and moral codes.
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The ADC candidate said this while reacting to reports that communities were donating to Governor Charles Soludo, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) candidate, as a show of endorsement ahead of the poll.
“I am aware of reports that some groups and towns have made humongous donations to the candidate of APGA in purported support of his campaign.
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“Such donations raise real concerns about compliance with the Electoral Act, morality, and the rule of law,” he said.
Mr Nwosu said that while individuals were free to support candidates of their choice, any quid pro quo arrangement, such as inflated contracts with kickbacks disguised as campaign donations, would amount to corruption and criminal subterfuge.
He questioned reports that certain local governments had contributed to the donations despite having “little to show for the funds received from the federal government.”
“If cash-strapped local governments are donating millions to the governor’s campaign, that is a charade and a blatant display of official dishonesty,” he said.
Mr Nwosu said the APGA-led government was tacitly buying votes and deceiving the public in its campaigns.
“At no time in Anambra’s political history have we witnessed such open desperation to manipulate the voting public.
“I urge the electorate to reject inducements and defend their democratic rights; those who sell their votes are selling their patrimony, freedom, and future.
“Elections should be won by popular choice, not through purchased loyalty,” he said.
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He called on the electorate in Anambra to vote for the ADC to restore honesty, fairness, and people-centred government leadership.
Reacting to the ADC statement, Law Mefor, the commissioner for information in Anambra, defended the donations, describing them as a crowd-funding system and part of Gov Soludo’s disruptive change.
Mr Mefor said the voluntary donations came from students, market associations, communities and senatorial districts, and are evidence of the acceptance Mr Soludo’s candidacy enjoyed among the people.
“It is different from the past when governorship candidates offered money to groups and communities in search of votes,” he said.
(NAN)
