The Yiaga Africa Watching The Vote has said Saturday’s off-cycle governorship election was characterized by massive vote buying, disclosing that voters accepted as low as N5000 before casting their ballots.

This is contained in the preliminary report of the Yiaga Africa released on Saturday in Akure and jointly presented by Mr Ezenwa Nwagwu and Cynthia Mbamalu, Chair of the 2024 Ondo Election Mission and Director of Programs for Yiaga Africa respectively; as well as board members, Prof. Chris Kwaja and Prof. Nnamdi Aduba.

“An agent stationed at the Odulufe, Omoke, Odosika, Ogubgobe polling units (PUs) in the Ileooluji II ward of Ileoluji LGA was observed offering cash inducements of N20,000 to voters in exchange for their vote for the party. Unfortunately, security agents did not intervene to stop this action.

“Voters at the Ogun/Saruku Area polling unit in Ilara II ward, Ifedore LGA, revealed how they marked their ballot papers to agents of the APC party in exchange for cash gifts. The security personnel present did not respond to this situation. APC and PDP agents were observed bribing voters with cash incentives ranging from N5000 to N10,000 at the Elegiri/Ediro Compound polling unit in Ilara I ward, Ifedore LGA,” the report said.

Nwagwu said Yiaga Africa observed widespread occurrence of vote buying across several PUs, which is becoming a permanent feature of the nation’s electoral process.

He said, “We strongly condemn this practice, as it contributes to electoral corruption and political inequality.”

He, however, commended the Department of State Security (DSS) for apprehending an individual allegedly involved in vote trading at the St. Stephen PU in Ward 4, Akure.

“Yiaga Africa firmly holds the political parties and candidates accountable for the negative trends observed in our elections. Political parties cannot distance themselves from the persistent issue of vote buying that continues to mar our electoral processes,” he said.

The report also said that while the lead-up to the elections was relatively peaceful, the election day process began calmly and orderly, demonstrating citizens’ interest in participating peacefully.

Mbamalu on her part said, “Citizens arrived early at their assigned polling units to cast their votes in the gubernatorial elections. Additionally, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the transport union groups successfully deployed election officials and materials across the state.

“By 7:30 am, election officials had arrived at 71% of the polling units. By 9:30 am, accreditation and voting were underway in 91% of the observed polling units.”

The report also said that there were election infractions and critical incidents, including obstruction of election observation, where the presiding officer and security personnel denied access to a Yiaga Africa observer deployed at Igbelowowa Methodist Primary School PU in Idanre LGA, claiming they had not been informed that observers should be allowed to observe the process.

She also listed disruption of voting, where some frustrated voters disrupted voting at the Leo Hospital PU in the Owode/Imuagun ward of Akure South LGA due to the malfunctioning of the BVAS, before security operatives arrived to calm the situation.

The report among others recommended that INEC should ensure strict adherence to the guidelines for results collation and that specifically, party agents, accredited media, and election observers should have access to the collation centers.

“Security agencies should remain professional and nonpartisan throughout the voting and results collation process. They should also impose appropriate sanctions for any violation of the Electoral Act on Election Day, especially any threat to the right to vote or attempts to buy votes.

“All electoral stakeholders, including citizens, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), political parties and security agencies should remain committed to the peaceful completion of the election.

“This includes orderly conduct as the voting and counting process concludes at the polling units and the results collation commences at all levels,” the report said. (Daily Trust)