ADC Candidate John Chuma-Nwosu Faults Anambra Poll, Warns ‘Institutionalized Vote-Buying’ Threatens Credibility of 2027 General Elections

The immediate aftermath of the 2025 Anambra State Governorship Election has been dominated by a scathing critique from the African Democratic Congress (ADC), whose candidate, John Chuma-Nwosu, today, Sunday, November 9, 2025, fiercely rejected the process, arguing that the poll was fatally compromised by widespread and brazen vote-buying.

Speaking in Awka, the ADC candidate lamented that the election was not a genuine democratic contest but a mere “auction of votes,” expressing deep concern that the scale of financial inducement witnessed in Anambra sets a catastrophic precedent for future national polls.

“What transpired yesterday was not an election based on manifestos, popularity, or performance; it was a brazen, institutionalized act of vote-buying,” Nwosu declared. “The deliberate distribution of cash near polling units was widespread and compromised the conscience of the electorate. If this level of financial inducement is allowed to stand, the credibility of the entire 2027 General Elections is fundamentally threatened.”

A Warning to INEC

The ADC, which fielded Nwosu as its governorship candidate in the race, urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to critically re-evaluate its preparedness and security strategy. The party stressed that relying solely on technology without addressing the flow of illicit money in the electoral process renders the entire democratic exercise meaningless.

The party’s statement emphasized that the security apparatus, despite its heavy deployment, failed to curb the open financial transactions that defined the voting process in many areas.

“We urge INEC and all relevant security agencies to urgently implement stricter, proactive measures to curb this menace. Anambra has served as a grave warning: if money is allowed to determine leadership, the voices of the true masses will forever be silenced, and genuine governance will remain elusive,” the statement read.

Nwosu confirmed that the party is currently engaging in extensive consultations with its legal team and coalition partners before announcing its final course of action, which may include a legal challenge to the results.