From Chuks Moses, Awka
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Anambra State chapter has blamed vote buying for its loss in the November 2017 governorship election in the state.
The party chairman in the state, Chief Ndubuisi Nwobu, told journalists in his office at the Udoka House Estate in Awka that the PDP lost to the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) due to what he described as “mass hunger and other irregularities”.
According to him, “In these days when vote buying has become the order of the day, one’s victory is now dependent on how deep his pocket is. That is not to say that the candidate is not popular.
“But because hunger is in the land, people sell their birthrights for a plate of porridge on election day. But immediately after the election, it looks like a scale falls off from their eyes and they start regretting,” the party chief noted.
He said all hopes were not lost, blaming the ugly trend on the youths adding it could be salvaged.
Nwobu pointed out that “People say there is no remedy to the ugly trend, but I’m one of those who believe vote buying which the adults have also joined can be checkmated.
“INEC should provide secluded voting centres so people won’t have opportunity to show others who they voted for.
“Voters should not be allowed to enter the polling booths with their cell phones, because they use the phones to snap their ballot papers which they show those who will pay them later,” he said.
He assured the party has put necessary arrangements in motion for its congresses and primaries ahead of next year’s general elections, with the hope to salvage the situation. He said he would address a meeting of stakeholders of the party later to intimate members of the arrangements.
He was not fazed by the disagreements rocking the party, describing it as normal in any progressive organisation.
The PDP boss assured that his leadership in the state had given direction to the party, and hence looks good to winning majority seats in the National and State Assemblies in the next year’s general election in the country, especially Anambra state.