We paid N10,000 to soldiers, PDP agent tells presidential tribunal

Suleiman Bulama, a ward collation officer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), says he paid N10,000 to some soldiers during the presidential election.

The PDP agent said this on Monday while being cross-examined by Alex Izinyon, counsel to President Muhammadu Buhari at the presidential election petitions tribunal.

Bulama, listed number 61 on the petitioners list, said he was a ward collation officer for the PDP in Fika local government in Yobe state.

The money reportedly given to soldiers was contained in the witness statement he adopted at the tribunal.

When Izinyon asked Bulama if it was a bribe, he said “no.”

According to him, the money was extorted from him and other PDP agents.

He also said soldiers demanded N50,000 from a village head in his ward after a PDP agent they wanted to arrest escpaed.

Bulama said the soldiers told the village head that the money for was “fuel”.

“We the PDP, we don’t have money for bribe, we don’t have currency, ask them (APC) they are in government,” he said.

Abana Bogo, another PDP agent, said there was no accreditation in Chibok local government area of Borno state, where he served a collation officer.

“No identification of people, they just call people and you vote anyhow,” Bogo said.

He added that he visited all the 95 polling units in Chibok were he observed anomalies being allegedly perpetrated by the APC.