Soludo’s N1m promise for voters to curb apathy - APGA

Soludo’s N1m Promise: Strategic Incentive or Electoral Inducement?

In the lead-up to the November 8, 2025, governorship election in Anambra State, Nigeria, a political storm has been stirred by Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s announcement of a cash reward scheme aimed at boosting voter turnout.

The governor, who is also the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), declared during a campaign rally in Umunze, Orumba South Local Government Area, that his party would reward each ward that secures a win for APGA with ₦1 million. 

Additionally, the top three performing wards would receive ₦5 million, ₦3 million, and ₦2 million respectively.

This announcement has ignited a fierce debate across political and civil society circles. Critics, including opposition parties and watchdog organizations, have labeled the move as a blatant form of vote-buying and a violation of the Electoral Act. They argue that such financial promises, made in the heat of an election campaign, undermine the integrity of the democratic process and could distort voter behavior.

However, APGA has mounted a robust defense of the initiative. In a statement issued by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mazi Ejimofor Opara, the party insists that the governor’s pledge is not an inducement but a strategic tool to combat voter apathy, a persistent issue in Anambra’s electoral history.

Opara cited the 2021 governorship election, where out of 2.7 million registered voters, fewer than 200,000 cast their ballots. He described this phenomenon as the “complacency of the majority,” where widespread assumptions about voter participation lead to low turnout.

According to APGA, the cash reward is designed to foster healthy competition among party members at the ward level, thereby encouraging grassroots mobilization and increasing voter engagement. The party emphasized that the incentive is not directed at individual voters but at collective party structures, and therefore should not be misconstrued as vote-buying.

Governor Soludo’s track record in previous elections was also referenced. During the Senate campaign, APGA reportedly implemented a similar reward system, which saw the party win all wards in Orumba South.

The governor fulfilled his promise by disbursing ₦1 million to each victorious ward, reinforcing his commitment to the strategy.

The party further argued that APGA’s dominance in Anambra State negates the need for electoral inducements. They pointed to the case of the “Ukwulu woman,” a voter who famously rejected monetary offers from rival parties, as evidence of the electorate’s integrity and resistance to vote-buying.

Nonetheless, the controversy remains. While APGA views the initiative as a motivational tool to galvanize its base and reach a one-million-vote target, opponents see it as a slippery slope that could erode public trust in the electoral process.

With 16 candidates vying for the governorship seat, the stakes are high, and every move is under scrutiny.

As the election date approaches, the debate over Soludo’s ₦1 million promise underscores the broader challenges of democratic consolidation in Nigeria, where the line between strategic mobilization and unethical inducement is often blurred.

Whether this initiative will succeed in energizing the electorate or backfire as a political misstep remains to be seen.