The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of vote buying in the ongoing Ekiti State Governorship election.
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that the PDP shared a photo via its official Facebook page of Abiodun Oyebanji, the APC Gubernatorial Candidate in the ongoing election allegedly giving money to an electorate.
The party also alleged that thugs sponsored by APC leaders in Egbe Ekiti chased voters away from the polling unit.
A video currently circulating on social media shows operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arresting some persons sharing money to electorates during the ongoing election.
Earlier, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) dispersed a group of residents allegedly being bribed at Mobil filling station, opposite St. Michael’s School in Ajilosun area of Ado-Ekiti.
A correspondent, who monitored voting across the state, observed a large crowd being dispersed by a team of NSCDC operatives, led by acting Deputy Commandant, Haruna Muhammed.
Mr Musa Faruk, a resident of the area, said that some suspected political agents had been distributing between N10,000 and N12,000 to the voters who agreed to vote for their preferred governorship candidate.
He explained that at polling units one and two of ward four at St. Michael Nursery and Primary School, the agents would have observed who voters had voted for before giving them the money.
Another voter, Veronica Famigun, who was in the midst of the crowd, said that vote buying had been ongoing for hours, expressing happiness over the way in which those engaging in the act were dispersed by NSCDC operatives.
She stressed the need for security agents to also beam their searchlight on other polling units across the state where such acts might also be perpetrated.
Speaking on the development, Muhammed frowned at the menace of vote buying by political agents, saying that his men had no choice than to disperse those engaging in the practice.
He said that it was important for citizens to understand that elections should be free and fair.
The NSCDC chief advised parents to restrain their wards and keep them indoor as anybody caught in the act of vote buying would be arrested and made to face the full wrath of the law.
However, nobody was arrested at the scene, as the suspected perpetrators immediately took to their heels. More security personnel had been drafted to the location to prevent re-occurrence.
ADC candidate decries electoral process in Ekiti election
Meanwhile, Dr Wole Oluyede, Governorship candidate of the African Democratic Party (ADC) has condemned the conduct of the ongoing governorship election in Ikere-Ekiti area of Ekiti, describing it as a shamble.
Oluyede in his country home, Ikere-Ekiti on Saturday said that the election was “opaque and vulnerable to manipulation and characterised by many problems”.
He identified logistic shortfalls, alleged disruption of electoral process by some party agents at the polling units and intimidation by security agents as part of the problems.
The ADC candidate said that many of his people supporters were arrested while trying to exercise their civic responsibilities in various polling units in Ikere-Ekiti.
Oluyede said he had reported the incident to the Brigade Commander, adding that nothing has been done so far to arrest the situation.
“This is an indication that those arrested will be disenfranchised.
“Lots of my people have been arrested for just no reason and I am totally disappointed in the security agents as they have all compromised,” he said.
Describing the situation as so unfortunate, the candidate said he had withdrawn his people from the polling units to avoid further arrest.