Soludo: Fighting Voter Apathy, Not Buying Votes

By Christian ABURIME

Politics is that volatile turf where sentiments, propaganda, and innuendos often take centre stage in an election season. In this part of the world, the political game gets even more sinister as heightened sensibilities rush to react to every contentious news story to create warped impressions that desperate politicians exploit to denigrate their opponents.

Thus is the perfect example of those making a mountain out of a molehill. Now, in the lead-up to the Anambra State governorship election on November 8, Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo has been unfairly attacked with allegations of vote buying via incentivisation. The claims are not only baseless but also a significant misrepresentation of his intentions and actions. It is essential to examine the contexts and clarify the true nature of the incentives mentioned by Governor Soludo, which are entirely legitimate and in line with democratic principles.

During a campaign rally in Umunze, Orumba South Local Government Area, Governor Soludo spoke about providing financial incentives to his party members. He stated, “When we were campaigning for the Senate, we knew we were going to win every ward in the South Senatorial Zone, but we still had some incentives. Any ward that APGA won received N1m, and we won all the wards in Orumba South. We promised each of these wards N1m, and next week, we will redeem it. The ward that comes first will get N5m, the second N3m, and the third N2m. That was the deal. For November 8, any ward that wins again will receive N1m, while the first three performing wards will get N5m, N2m, and N1m, respectively.” What a discerning reader would notice in the foregoing statements is the clause “we will redeem it.” This means that wards may have been won, but the rewards come only later, not before.

Yet, immediately after the Umunze rally, the news went viral that the Governor was engaged in vote-buying. Impulsive outbursts took over as every opinionated critic kicked with an opinion. As typical of Nigerian political discourse, misrepresentations and vilifications spiralled out of control.

Surprised, Governor Soludo later clarified his position at an APGA rally in Onitsha North Local Government area. He emphasized that the incentives promised were not meant to buy votes but to motivate party canvassers to mobilise voters. He stated, “Don’t sit at home and say Soludo has won. No, we have not won until you have voted. Do you still have your PVC?” He further explained, “We in the APGA, we stand for one man, one vote, transparent, free and fair election. We are going to cooperate with INEC to make sure that this will be the freest, most credible election ever conducted by INEC.” Now, do these statements sound like someone trying to compromise voters?

Indeed, Governor Soludo likened the incentives to a manufacturer rewarding its marketers for increased sales, a legitimate exercise. He said, “That is what the prizes of APGA are about! Remember that members of political parties constitute less than 5 percent of voters. So, it is members of our political party as canvassers who are being incentivised to mobilise voters to the polling units. In politics all over the world, including America, political parties pay canvassers before elections. But in our own case, we are not paying them before the election. We say to them that if they win their wards, we will have a prize for them.” Definitely, the rewards coming for party canvassers (not voters) after the election cannot qualify as someone inducing voters before the election.

Governor Soludo has repeatedly emphasized his commitment to a free, fair, and transparent election. He has called for cooperation with the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) to ensure that the election is credible and that every vote counts. He stated, “We just want people to cast the votes, count the votes, announce the votes and know who the winner will be.” His call for voters to cast their ballots and for the results to be accurately announced clearly underscores his dedication to democratic principles.

But the real, bigger issue in all of this is voter apathy. One of the key challenges in any election in contemporary Nigeria is voter apathy. Governor Soludo’s incentives are designed to combat this issue by motivating canvassers to engage with voters and encourage participation. As he explained, “Instead of paying you upfront, we provide the incentives after the election. It’s like commission agents who earn commission on products selling. So, if you work hard and convince people to come out to vote, then we have a reward for you after the election.” This is necessary due to voter apathy which was a problem in previous elections.

Therefore, the allegations of vote buying against Governor Chukwuma Soludo are unfounded and misleading. His statements about providing incentives are clear, noble and competition-driven: they are meant to reward the hard work of party canvassers and to combat voter apathy. These incentives are a legitimate part of campaign strategy anywhere in the world, and are in no way an attempt to bribe voters. A high-performing governor like Professor Soludo, whose impressive achievements are undeniable and winning awards, doesn’t need to buy votes to win re-election.

With the November 8 election fast approaching, it is crucial to focus on the issues and policies that matter to Ndi Anambra, not shadows chasing. Governor Soludo’s vision for the state and his dedication to ensuring a credible and transparent electoral process should be recognised and supported, not taken out of context and spun into wild allegations.