Anambra Guber: I was paid to vote – First-time voter Chinyere

A 21-year-old first-time voter, Chinyere Aniwetalu, onSaturday admitted that she was paid to vote at Nteje Ward 1, Amuda VillageSquare Polling Unit 12, in the ongoing Anambra governorship election. Chinyere, who spoke in Igbo language, confirmed receivingmoney but declined to disclose how much or who paid her. “I was paid to vote,” she said, smiling, but quickly addedthat she was happy to finally participate in an election after years of waitingto reach voting age. She explained that she could not vote in the 2023 generalelection because she did not have a Permanent Voter’s Card, PVC,then. “I just got my PVC this year, and I’m happy to use ittoday,” she said. At the polling unit, most of the voting had been completedas of mid-day, with several voters seen loitering around waiting for thesorting of ballots. INEC officials at the centre told journalists that theprocess started early at about 8:00 a.m. and had been smooth so far, thoughthey were still expecting more voters to turn up before the close of polls. The candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA,Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, remains a top contender for the governorship poll.

Read More