Assembly poll: Soludo denies spending N3.5bn state funds to buy votes

By Christiana Ekpa

Anambra State Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo has denied that he spent N3.5 billion of state funds to buy votes during last Saturday’s House of Assembly election.
A rights group, the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) had in a press statement signed by its Chairman Board of Trustees, Mr Emeka Umeagbalasi accused Soludo of disbursing state funds to stakeholders, to work for the election of candidates of his party; the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) for the March 18 poll.
But Soludo, reacting through his Press Secretary, Mr Christian Aburime, said the rumour was false, and could not have been true.
Aburime in a statement he signed and issued in Awka on Monday described the rumour as “satanic, despicable and illogical”.
He said: “N3.5 billion could not be disbursed at a time when the society was passing through a cashless phase.
“The allegation is further baseless against the background that it is coming at a time of acute shortage of cash due to the Federal Government Naira Redesign Policy which sadly exposes the devilish intentions of the writer(s).
“Anambra people are advised to disregard the group which made the allegations as it had been known to be serial blackmailers over the years and do not serve any useful purpose to society.
“Governor Soludo does not need to buy votes to win an election. He is a Democrat who enjoys the overwhelming support of the good people of Anambra State.”