Victor EzejaSome Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) monitoring the Ondo State governorship election have raised the alarm over cases of vote buying that occurred across the state on Saturday.
Early morning reports from various parts of the State on Saturday had shown that there were timely arrival of voting materials and electoral officials at many polling centres for the off-cycle governorship election.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelHowever things got awry much later in the day as cases of vote buying, like cancer, spread, tainting the integrity of the exercise.
In a preliminary report of their observation of the exercise on Saturday, the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) said agents of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were involved in widespread vote buying.
The group mentioned some places where its observers saw vote buying taking place including Ward 5, PU 001, located at St. Johns Primary School, Iba Akoko South East; Ward 005, PU 001, St. Barnabas Primary School, Ifon; Ward 1, PU 12 in Ifedore LGA, and Ward 002, PU 002 in Ondo East LGA.
CDD said its observers saw voters snapping their ballot with phones and presenting them to certain party officials, as evidence of having voted for a particular candidate in order to be paid.
According to the report, while PDP allegedly paid ₦3,000, APC gave voters each ₦5,000 in exchange for votes.
The report said: “CDD observers watching the process in Ward 5, PU 001, located at St. Johns Primary School, Iba Akoko South East spotted APC leaders writing down the names of those who voted for their candidate. Subsequently, a card was given to them, and they were instructed to converge at an agreed location where cash would be disbursed to them.
Citing cases of vote buying in Ondo Central senatorial district, the CDD report said: “In Ifedore LGA, Ward 1, PU 12 (Olafare), political party agents distributed tally marks and coupons to voters. These were later presented at designated locations to claim monetary rewards. Similarly, in Ondo East LGA, Ward 002, PU 002 (Dispensary/Bolorunduro Odo-Aladura Health Centre), party agents strategically positioned themselves to monitor voters’ choices, offering financial incentives after the votes were cast.”
On its part, Yiaga Africa expressed concerns about cases of vote buying.
Presenting the report, Chairman of the 2024 Ondo Election Mission for Yiaga Africa, Ezenwa Nwagwu, said: “Yiaga Africa observed widespread vote buying across several polling units, which is becoming a permanent feature of our electoral process.”
The group condemned the practice, pointing out that it also encourages “electoral corruption and political inequality.”
“Yiaga Africa holds political parties and their candidates accountable for this persistent issue. They cannot distance themselves from the vote buying that continues to undermine our electoral processes.”
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Yiaga Africa commended security agencies for stepping in to stop incidents of vote buying and other irregularities in some places.
CDD commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the early arrival of electoral officials and voting materials at polling units.
It added that there was at least one Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) in all the polling units it observed with at least one polling unit and the others recording two systems.
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However, while highlighting other irregularities in the Saturday’s governorship election, CDD said its observers saw cases of voter intimidation and suppression in some places.
“At the polling unit, APC supporters overpowered the PDP agents, and security officials did not initially interfere until they were prompted to do so. Observers note that some officials and security personnel reported that they were under obligation to deliver this polling unit and referred to it being the polling unit of the Minister of Interior,” the group report stated.
It also stated that as of 2:30 pm, “52% of our observers reported instances of people not being allowed to vote due to some challenges around the accreditation process, such as people not being on the voter register and some not having their PVCs.
“We also note extensive instances of voters marking ballots, agents distributing money, and brazen attempts to suppress voters in certain parts of the state. Perhaps most worryingly, a large number of our observers note low voter turnout and polling units being able to close early. CDD-EAC observers will continue to keep a close watch on the election up until voting ends, and counting and collation of results begin. Further updates on findings will be provided at the end of voting.”
While commending Ondo voters for remaining calm all through the voting process, CDD called on stakeholders to adhere to the rule of law in the election processes.
Aiyedatiwa, Ajayi Win in their polling units
While 17 political parties fielded candidates for the Saturday,16 November 2024 governorship election,the race has been between two major parties – the ruling APC and PDP.
The APC candidate and current governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, won in his polling unit 005, Ward 4, Obenla, in Ilaje Local Government Area.
Aiyedatiwa scored 128 votes while his closest rival, Agboola Ajayi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), got three votes.
Similarly, Ajayi also won in his own polling unit in Apoi 004, Ward 2, in Ese Odo LGA. Mr Agboola, a former deputy governor of the state.
He scored 194 votes to defeat Mr Aiyedatiwa, who also got three votes, in the polling unit.
Collation of the election results at ward level, local government and state continues on Sunday, as citizens of the state eagerly awaits to know who will emerge as the governor for the next three years.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with six years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Masters degree in Mass Communication.
