There has been a claim by the governorship candidate of the Young Peoples Party (YPP), Paul Chukwuma, that Governor Chukwuma Soludo is funding state militias to disrupt the November 8, 2025, Guber polls in Anambra State. Chukwuma made this allegation while speaking on Arise TV.
The politician, who believes he can defeat Soludo come November 8, at the polls, claims “Soludo has plans to compromise the forthcoming governorship election in Anambra, using state-backed militias and public funds to achieve his goals”.
The said allegation has since started generating controversy, on social media, after it was posted by a page with the name “For The Love of Anambra” on Facebook, a platform that has over 341k followers.
Verification
Investigation shows that there used to be several militia groups in Anambra State. Prominent among them were the Bakassi Boys. However, Prof. Soludo, the governor and flag bearer of the All People Grand Alliance (APGA) party, has upgraded and rebranded this vigilante group into Anambra Vigilante Service (AVS), one that partners with the Nigerian Police towards curbing crimes and keeping the society safe.
We also found out that the state government recently launched the “Operation Udo Ga-Achi” as Anambra Homeland Security Law (AHS), an initiative meant to improve security in the state.
Governor Soludo explained that “Operation Udo Ga-Achi” is a dedicated intervention force designed to complement regular policing.
Its mission is to bolster intelligence gathering, incentivise whistleblowers, speed up emergency responses, and decisively target criminal networks throughout Anambra State.
If the Anambra Vigilante Society (AVS) is working under the direct supervision of the Nigerian Police, one then begins to wonder how Paul Chukwuma came to his own conclusions.
Also, noting that off-season elections like the one taking place in Anambra usually draw the participation of security agents both from within and outside the State, it is hard for state-funded militias to disrupt the election without being apprehended.
Do not forget that “there’s a new Marshall in town” The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) just got a new chairman, in the person of Prof. Josh Amupitan.
who will want to prove himself worthy of his appointment.
Verdict
Considering the variables, it could be seen that the statement is a misrepresentation of the facts and a speculative opinion formed to get sympathy from voters. Therefore, it is untrue and misleading as well.
Such statements could create tension that leads to violence in a state. From our findings, it is clear that Paul Chukwuma is only spreading fake news with this statement.
