Paul James, Yiaga Africa’s election programme manager, has raised concerns over alleged vote buying in the ongoing Ondo State governorship election.
Speaking on Arise TV on Saturday, James disclosed that politicians had been distributing money, food items, and fertilisers to voters during the election period.
“We saw glimpses of vote buying in the buildup to the election, where politicians, in their usual theatrics, were giving voters between N2000 and N5000 at campaign rallies.
“There was also the usual distribution of food items,” he said.
He highlighted incidents in October where fertilisers were given to farmers, noting, “It’s challenging to draw the line between palliatives and vote buying, especially during the buildup to elections.”
James urged security agencies and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to address these issues.
“We have called out to the anti-graft agencies and the Nigeria police to keep an eye on the process and ensure that people involved in nefarious activities are apprehended and brought to book.”
He also stressed the need for security officers to act professionally. “We expect the officers to be professional in the discharge of their duties,” he said.
SaharaReporters earlier reported that Agboola Ajayi, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the Ondo State governorship election, voiced his disappointment with the electoral process after casting his vote at Apoi Ward 11, Unit 004 in Ese-Odo Local Government Area.
Ajayi had expressed frustration with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) malfunctioning, which delayed his accreditation for about 10 minutes.
Ajayi’s concerns go beyond technical glitches, as he believes the system has been compromised.
He had stated, “The system has been compromised. It is sad INEC can’t conduct election well in one state.”
