Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State has accused some politicians of attempting to influence the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ahead of next month’s governorship election in the state.
Mr Soludo alleged that certain politicians were “sleeping in INEC offices” in a bid to manipulate the outcome of the poll.
He made the remarks on Monday during a panel discussion in Abuja on the theme “Innovation in Electoral Technology 2015–2025.”
Speaking at the event, the governor highlighted what he described as a persistent culture of political interference in Nigeria’s electoral process.
“Some politicians are sleeping in INEC, you know, because they don’t believe that people can simply cast their votes, have them counted, and see the results announced,” Mr Soludo said. “They believe there must be some wayo or wuruwuru here and there.”
He urged politicians to change their attitudes and respect the integrity of the electoral process.
Mr Soludo, a former Central Bank governor, also reflected on his experience working both inside and outside politics. He said Nigeria’s electoral system had improved significantly over the years but that political behaviour still needed to evolve.
“The difference between where we are today and where we used to be is like night and day,” he said. “But politicians themselves have a lot of work to do. Many still believe elections can’t happen without interference.”
Anambra State is set to hold its governorship election next month. INEC has not yet responded to the governor’s claims.