Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State has defended his administration’s recently introduced cash reward scheme, insisting that it is a legitimate campaign strategy rather than an attempt to buy votes.
The governor made the clarification on Wednesday during a campaign rally in Awka South Local Government Area, following criticism from opposition parties and civil society organisations who accused him of encouraging electoral malpractice.
Soludo explained that the funds were targeted at party members actively engaged in grassroots mobilisation, not at the general voting population.
“When we are giving incentives, incentives happen to be for our party men and women who are working hard, knocking door to door, trying to convince voters to go to the polling unit,” he said.
He stressed that the initiative was a performance-based reward for canvassers who demonstrate results in voter mobilisation.
“We are not paying anybody. We are only saying if the two per cent succeed as canvassers in convincing voters to come and vote, we will reward them as an incentive to work harder. It’s not vote-buying; we’re not giving anybody shishi for voting,” the governor added.
The scheme, first announced earlier in the week, drew sharp criticism from opposition groups and civic watchdogs, who argued that such financial incentives could blur the line between legitimate campaign support and voter inducement.
Critics said the governor’s public remarks risked sending the wrong message to voters and might undermine confidence in the electoral process ahead of the polls.
However, Soludo dismissed those concerns as politically motivated attacks, insisting that his government remains committed to transparency, accountability, and democratic principles.
“This is a campaign contribution to mobilise participation, not an inducement.
”Our focus is to encourage active political engagement at the grassroots,” he said.
Governor Soludo, who was elected in 2021 on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), has positioned his administration as one committed to economic reform and civic participation.
The latest initiative, he said, is part of broader efforts to motivate local party structures to strengthen community engagement and increase voter turnout.
