Officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) deployed across Anambra State on Saturday as residents headed to the polls to elect a new governor.

EFCC operatives were sighted at several polling centres, including the Community Primary School in Amawbia, Awka South LGA, where they monitored activities to discourage financial inducement of voters.

However, allegations of vote buying emerged from other parts of the state. At Central School Utuh, a party agent was caught on video escorting a woman to the voting cubicle—an action prohibited under Nigeria’s electoral guidelines. The man was overheard making inquiries suggestive of vote trading before INEC officials confronted him for entering a restricted area. His actions sparked tensions at the centre and momentarily disrupted the process.

Election observers also raised concerns about similar incidents. Dimma Nwobi from the Situation Room reported witnessing organised vote-buying networks in parts of Nnewi North, where party operatives allegedly collected voter cards and directed how ballot papers were handled. She noted that some INEC officials and police personnel in the area were still waiting for transportation to their polling units well after the scheduled start time.

According to INEC, 2.8 million registered voters are expected to participate in today’s election across 5,718 polling units in all 21 LGAs.

Sixteen candidates are in the race, including incumbent Governor Chukwuma Soludo of APGA; APC’s Nicholas Ukachukwu; YPP’s Paul Chukwuma; Labour Party’s George Moghalu; and PDP’s Jude Ezenwafor.