ADC’s Ibrahim Mani Alleges APC Engaged in More Vote Buying Than Other Parties

Dr. Ibrahim Mani, a senior member of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of engaging in widespread vote buying during the recent by-elections.

Speaking on Trust TV, Dr. Mani revealed that the ADC monitored multiple polling units across various states and found that the APC was the primary beneficiary of voter inducements.

“In most of the places we monitored, it was the ruling party that benefited more from vote buying. Even in Kano, the state ruling party bought votes,” he stated.

He further explained that politicians have exploited poverty as a tool to manipulate voters, deliberately keeping citizens impoverished to make them more susceptible to inducements during elections.

“This is a clear sign of what a government can achieve by allowing poverty to become so widespread. They impoverish people only to use this poverty against them, then offer money to sway votes,” Mani said.

Highlighting the scale of the inducements, he claimed some voters received up to ₦20,000 each. “There’s a slight improvement compared to previous elections where voters were given food items like spaghetti and macaroni. Now, in some places, voters are given as much as ₦20,000 per person,” he added.

Despite these challenges, Dr. Mani emphasized that the ADC is still building its structures and using the by-elections to gauge its strength.

“Participating in these elections has given us valuable insight into the process. We are working to mobilize support and build confidence in the electoral system,” he said.

“If we hadn’t taken part, I wouldn’t be here sharing these observations. What we saw clearly shows the devastating impact of deliberate poverty on voters’ vulnerability,” he concluded.