CDD Raises Concern Over Vote Buying, Low Turnout In Anambra Governorship Election
…Calls for deeper electoral reforms and year-round security measures
Despite technological progress and improved logistics, Nigeria’s elections continue to face deep-rooted governance and credibility challenges.
This was the conclusion of the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD-West Africa) in its post-election briefing on the 2025 Anambra State Governorship Election held on 8 November.
Presenting its findings in Awka, the organisation commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for notable improvements, including a 98.8 per cent Permanent Voter Card (PVC) collection rate and 99.62 per cent result upload on the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV).
However, it observed that 5.4 per cent of polling units experienced delays due to late arrival of officials.
CDD noted that while the election was largely peaceful, thanks to the deployment of over 45,000 security personnel, vote buying remained widespread, with voters reportedly receiving between ₦2,000 and ₦10,000 to influence their choices. “This persistent trend reflects the absence of issue-based campaigns and a failure of governance,” the report stated.
Voter turnout stood at 21.4 per cent, an improvement from 10.2 per cent recorded in 2021—but still worryingly low. CDD attributed this to voter apathy, weak mobilisation by political parties, and limited participation by women, youths, and persons with disabilities due to accessibility challenges.
On information disorder, the group said it tracked over 200 election-related claims, 54 per cent of which were false, with disinformation actors targeting political parties, INEC, and security agencies through hate speech and AI-generated content.
CDD stressed that Nigeria’s electoral problems are inseparable from poor governance, elite dominance, and institutional weakness. It called for urgent reforms to strengthen INEC’s operational capacity, enforce accountability, and promote inclusive participation.
“Elections cannot continue to be treated as temporary security events,” CDD warned. “A sustainable, year-round security framework must be built to safeguard both lives and democracy.”
It also urged the government and political parties to tackle vote buying through good governance and civic education, while enhancing collaboration among media, civil society, and security agencies to counter misinformation and strengthen public trust.
Follow the Savinews Africa channel on WhatsApp: [https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VawgaEL5vKA9Y5XTFg0n]
