Osun election: YIAGA Africa exposes how APC, PDP agents bought votes

By Victor Adeoti

Election Monitoring Group, YIAGA Africa has said it received reports of vote buying agents of the All Progressives Congress, APC and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in some polling units during Saturday’s Osun governorship election.

Addressing newsmen on the group’s Mid-day situational reports on Saturday, Dr Hussain Abdu, the Board Chairman of the group, said the party agents induced voters with various amounts of money.

“For instance, PU 009, Akinlalu Commercial Grammar School, Ward 01 in Ife North, the party agents strategically positioned themselves by the voting cubicle to see how voters marked their ballots.

In PU 003 Opp. Olomu Mosque in Osogbo, PDP party agents were allegedly seen handing out between N2000 and N5000 to induce voters.

“Also, in Disu Polling Unit 003, ward 7 in Orolu LGA, APC agents were allegedly seen distributing N4000 to voters who voted for the party while PDP party agents were also allegedly seen distributing N2000 to induce voters,” he said.

It added that secrecy of the ballots was compromised while some party agents openly intimidated the voters.

“Ward 11, Unit 3, Palace Town Hall (old post office Iree) in Boripe, Yiaga Africa observed voters showing how they mark their ballot papers to APC party agents before dropping them in the ballot box.

“At Open Space-Under Tree, Ojude Oke, PU 010, Iragbiji Ward 4, Boripe LGA, Thugs associated with the APC threatened to stab any voter who did not vote for the APC.

“The voters however insisted on casting their votes for the candidate of their choice. Yiaga Africa also received a report from Ogbagba Village, Ward 11, Pu 013 of a thug/cultist affiliated with the PDP coming to disrupt the process,” it added.

It therefore charged the various security agencies to impose appropriate sanctions for any form of violation of the electoral act, especially any threat to the right to vote or attempts to buy votes.

Yiaga Africa however commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the early arrival of polling officials and materials at the polling unnits

Abdu said by 9:00 a.m., 89 per cent of the polling units in the state had begun accreditation and voting.

He said: “Yiaga Africa WTV observed the early arrival of polling officials and materials at polling units across the state.

“As of 7:30 a.m., Yiaga Africa WTV observers reported that INEC officials had arrived at 78 per cent of polling units.

“By 8:30 a.m., 41 per cent of polling units had commenced accreditation and voting and by 9:00 a.m. 89 per cent of polling units had commenced accreditation and voting.

“This, however, increased to 96 per cent by 9:30 a.m. This is consistent with Yiaga Africa’s observation findings in the 2018 elections, where 91 per cent of polling units opened by 9:00 a.m.”

He also said that the group observed the deployment of Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) across the polling units visited which functioned optimally.

Abdu also commended INEC for the deployment of assistive materials in polling units.

He said the Braille ballot guides were observed in 60 per cent of the polling units, while the PWD poster was seen in 71 per cent of polling units and PWD voter information and statistics were seen in 79 per cent of polling units.

He said the group commended the good people of the state for their peaceful conduct during the voting process.

“YIAGA will continue to provide updates on the voting and counting process and will provide independent verification of the election results as announced by INEC.

“Yiaga Africa appeals to INEC, all security agents, political party candidates and their supporters as well as all Osun people to work together to ensure that the Osun gubernatorial election is credible and peaceful,” he said.

(NAN)