Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, has claimed that the recently concluded Anambra State governorship election was influenced by systematic manipulation.

Speaking on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme monitored by DAILY POST, Lawal stated, “Structures are used to rig elections; structures are used to defend votes at the polling units.”

His comments followed the declaration of Chukwuma Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) as the winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

When asked about his involvement in previous elections for the All Progressives Congress (APC), including the 2015 and 2023 general elections, Lawal said, “Some people probably rigged, but at the level I was involved in the presidential election, our candidate is such that would tolerate rigging. Buhari has always told me in every election that ‘look, SGF, let’s respect Nigerian voters. Let us respect their Permanent Voters Cards, PVCs.’”

Lawal’s remarks highlight concerns over electoral integrity in Nigeria, while he maintains that he personally adhered to directives to respect voters’ choices.