INEC’s measure ‘reduced vote-buying’ in Osun

The Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) and Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism (PTCIJ) say the measure taken by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) “largely thwarted blatant” vote-buying in the Osun governorship election.

This was contained in a preliminary report of the election released on Saturday.

The report said voters “willingly” complied with INEC’s policy of not using smart telephones in voting cubicles.

“The ban of the use of mobile phones and other recording devices in voting cubicles by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) largely thwarted  blatant vote buying,” the report read.

“In most of the polling units where we observed the ongoing election, voters willingly complied with the policy, and in a case where such attempt to violate the policy, law enforcement agents and INEC officials saw to its enforcement.

“The Nigerian Police Force tweeted the arrest of two voter buys arrested with six hundred.  Our observers also reported the arrest of a vote buyeri dentified as Sunday, was arrested at Polling Unit 03, Ward 06 of Ifedayo Local Government Area but he was arrested and later released by police officers in Osun state.

“In Ward 010, PU 004, Boripe LGA, our observer reported a voter snapping ballot paper after voting in the presence of security personnel. However, politicians deployed new tactics to perpetrate vote buying and selling during Osun governorship election.”

The report said despite the measures taken by INEC, politicians devised a new way of vote-buying.

It said agents of political parties were seen collecting names of voters for payment afterwards.

“Despite the measures introduced by INEC to reduce vote buying in the ongoing elections, our observers still reported that politicians devised to buy votes,” it said.

“As against the usual money sharing at the polling units, our observers said that the agents of the political parties are now collating names for payment after the vote. This was reported in Ede north local government Ward 11 polling unit 3, 4, 5 and 11, Ayedire Local government Ward 5,Polling Unit 005, Atapka Osogbo local government ward 005, polling unit 007.

“All the leading political parties in the elections are involved in this despicable acts of vote trading.”