The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday arrested four persons over alleged vote-buying and vote-selling during the 2022 governorship poll in Osun State.
The names of the suspects were given as Yekini Nurudeen Abiodun, for alleged vote buying at Unit 002, Ward 08, Isale Agbara area Osogbo, as well as Jimoh Kazeem, Adeyemo Bahir and Abidogun Ismail, that were picked up at Polling Unit 002, Ward 2, Ababu, Isale Osun, Osogbo
It was gathered that the money given to each of the vote sellers by the vote buyers ranged from N2,000, N2,500, N3,000, and N5,000.
A preliminary statement issued by CLEEN Foundation’s Election Security Support Centre (ESSC) on the gubernatorial poll, and signed by the foundation’s Acting Executive Director, Ms Ruth Olofin, alleged that agents of political parties looked the other way while open vote-buying was ongoing for as low as N3,000.
The Programme Manager of the foundation, Mrs Chigozirim Okoro, reported that at polling unit 014, Ward 05, Sport Centre, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ife- Central Local Government, loyalist of a party was seen canvassing to pay N10,000 if voters were ready to vote for his party.
“Also in PU 009, Ward 11, Oke Aree, Boripe Local Government, massive vote-trading was observed as voters showed the party voted for and tallies were issued by party agents to the voter to claim the money. In PU 09, Ward 01, Idilapo Ogodobo, Obokun Local Government, voters were given money inside a bar house to vote for a political party.”
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