EXPOSED: ‘New Method’ APC, PDP Used To Buy Votes During Osun Election

Reports gathered from Osun has revealed a new means devised by the two major political parties, ruling All Progressive’s Congress and Peoples Democratic Party are using to engage in vote-buying from the electorates at the ongoing Osun gubernatorial election.

Hon. Gboyega Oyetola and Senator Ademola Adeleke are the candidates of the APC and PDP respectively.

The usual method known for this electoral malpractice is the sharing of money to the voters at the polling units by their agents, because of the heavy presence of the security agencies like the DSS, Police & NSCDC, they now gather names for later payments.

How this can be possible is to tender proofs of voting for their parties which must have been secretly snapped with phones while voting.

Meanwhile, the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC) had earlier in the week banned the use of mobile phones around the polling booth to forestall vote buying.

However, reporters observed this new method playing out in many polling units visited in Ede North Local Government
Area.

At Polling Unit 2, Ward 11, party agent of APC was seen holding a note with pen which he uses in writing names after electorates might have voted.

At intervals, he would withdraw to a nearby secluded places to collect
the names.

Some of his conversation with the electorates were recorded.

“Have you written my name?” a middle aged woman asked in one of the
instances.

“Yes, we’ll see later,” the agent replied.

His name could not be ascertained at the time of filling this report. He also
could not provide details of what he was writing when asked by the reporter secretly covering this story.

The same trend was observed at
Polling Unit 3, Ward 11, Polling Unit
5, Ward 11 and Polling Unit 4, same
Ward 11.

In all of these polling units, APC
agents had writing materials with
them.

Other parties like PDP and ADP were
also in the trade.

A voter familiar with the process,
having written his name, said the list
would be used in money collection
after voting.

He said, “They (party agents) will ask
you to write your names and give
you money later. We don’t know how
much it will be as they didn’t tell but
they will surely give us money.

“You have money for yourself
whichever one you pick. PDP gave us
N500 in the last election. In some
places it was up to N2,000.”

It was also observed that the APC
was sharing money at Polling Unit
005, Ward 5 Ileogbo, Ayedire Local
Government Area confirmed.

Some of the recipients complained of
being given N2,000 while some said
they were given N500.

Two underage persons were also
caught in this centre by security
personnel, but they were later
allowed to vote.

In Ward 05, PU 007, Ataoja E, Odofin
Peter Ajibola, Osogbo LG, an SDP
agent was seen distributing snacks to
people on the queue though not
everyone was accepting it.

Also in Ward 004 PU005 of Ayedaade
LGA, vote buying was suspected by
the electorates who raised alarm.
Security personnel waded in and the
act was suspended.

An INEC official at the unit warned
against vote buying, saying the act
should not be carried out around the
voting centres.

“It (votes) can, however, be bought
outside the voting area,” the
supervising polling officer said.