The All Progressives Congress and Accord Party have been accused of engaging in a vote-buying jamboree across Osun State as agents of both parties offer voters between N10,000 and N20,000 ahead of today’s governorship election.

It was gathered that, unlike previous elections, the vote-buying started six days before the poll.

According to some voters, the parties also collected the account numbers of thousands of voters a week before the election, with plans to credit them after voting.

Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party is being challenged by Bola Oyebamiji of the APC, Najeem Salaam of the African Democratic Congress and nine other contestants.

A total of 1,906,390 voters who have collected their Permanent Voter Cards are expected to participate in the election.

Findings by our correspondents revealed that both Accord and the APC started distributing cash between Monday and Tuesday.

In some instances, the voter inducement, which included the distribution of food items and cash gifts, was laced with spirituality, as beneficiaries were forced to swear an oath to vote for the candidate of the party providing the items.

Our correspondents also came across viral videos in which supporters of Adeleke and Oyebamiji openly distributed cash, salt, rice and other items while asking beneficiaries not to betray them at the poll.

Ilesa

Voters in Ilesa told Saturday PUNCH that the APC was disbursing N20,000 per voter across polling units in Ilesa East, Ilesa West and Atakunmosa East LGAs.

According to some of the beneficiaries, the money was being distributed at the house of an appointed APC chieftain in each polling unit.

The voters disclosed that the vote-buying began on Tuesday and lasted until Friday.

One of the beneficiaries, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “I collected my N20,000 at the Bonnke area of Ilesa on Wednesday. The cash was in N1,000 and N500 denominations. We had over 200 voters and it was done unit by unit. I collected mine around 11am at the bungalow belonging to one of the APC chieftains in our unit.”

A human rights activist in Ilesa, who also spoke on condition of anonymity for safety reasons, confirmed the vote-buying.

“At the Coca-Cola area, people were given N20,000 each at one particular storey building. But you have to show your voter card before being paid.

“At Abiola Avenue, APC members gave N20,000 to each voter. I was there. The storey building where the money was shared belongs to an APC leader in the area,” he said.

At Iroye and Imo areas of Ilesa, it was gathered that the APC was distributing rice and an undisclosed amount of money to voters.

“I saw them. They are APC supporters. They provided money and rice, but I don’t know the exact amount they were distributing. They were cursing the beneficiaries, saying it would not be well with them if they failed to vote for AMBO after collecting the money,” a student leader in Iroye said.

It was also gathered that while the APC was giving out N20,000, Accord was disbursing N10,000 to voters.

It was learnt that at Olowu Village in Atakunmosa East LGA, Accord distributed N10,000 and asked beneficiaries to swear an oath of allegiance three weeks ago.

One of the community leaders told Saturday PUNCH that Accord leaders were distributing the money without fear of arrest.

Some other residents in Ilesa also confirmed that the ruling party had begun distributing N10,000 at Ifofin, Iloro and Okesa, among other parts of the city, since Tuesday.

Speaking with Saturday PUNCH on condition of anonymity, an APC chieftain in Ilesa West LGA confirmed the inducement but claimed it was meant for transportation.

“We are not buying votes. We only provided them with cash to transport themselves to their various polling units,” he said.

Osogbo

In Osogbo LGA, our correspondents gathered that the APC distributed N15,000 each to some voters across polling units in all 15 wards.

An APC chieftain involved in the distribution told one of our correspondents that the party appointed three leaders in each ward to coordinate the exercise.

The APC chieftain, who spoke on condition of anonymity on Thursday, said, “We targeted 150 voters in every unit. We gave N15,000 each to 75 voters on Wednesday, and another 75 voters received N15,000 each on Thursday.

“That was not really for vote-buying; it was for feeding before election day. We know what to do on election day.”

Iwo

It was gathered that N700,000 was budgeted for vote-buying in each of the 170 polling units across the 15 wards in Iwo LGA by the APC.

According to an APC chieftain familiar with the process, the cash distribution began on Tuesday and was still ongoing as of the time of filing this report on Friday.

“A sum of N700,000 was provided per polling unit, and we have been distributing it at N15,000 per voter since Tuesday. We are systematic about it because the Accord Party is also distributing money,” he said.

It was gathered that in Aiyedire LGA, Accord started distributing N10,000 to eligible voters across polling units on Monday.

“Both APC and Accord are distributing money, but APC has the upper hand because it is paying N15,000 against Accord’s N10,000. As for me, I collected from both parties in my polling unit at Ward 2 in Ileogbo,” a voter said on condition of anonymity on Thursday.

Similarly, over 200 women in Ileogbo, the headquarters of Aiyedire LGA, were offered N10,000 each by a group that asked them to vote for the APC.

In Ila, the headquarters of Ila LGA, Saturday PUNCH gathered that both Accord and the APC had been inducing voters with cash ranging from N15,000 to N20,000.

While the APC was reportedly offering N15,000 per eligible voter, Accord offered N20,000.

The inducement, according to residents, began on Monday.

A resident told Saturday PUNCH that he and his wife collected N20,000 each from Accord leaders.

“We were asked to swear an oath that we would vote for Adeleke. But we didn’t take any oath. So many others were given N10,000,” he said.

Another resident, who identified himself as Isaac Ibirogba, said Accord initially offered N10,000 per eligible voter before increasing it to N20,000 on Tuesday, while the APC was offering N15,000.

Ife

In Ile-Ife, a member of the Hausa community who also spoke with Saturday PUNCH on condition of anonymity disclosed that the APC was offering N15,000, while Accord offered N10,000 per voter.

He said both parties also requested Permanent Voter Cards before making payments.

“The APC people came to Sabo on Wednesday and, after interacting with some of us, they brought a bag containing cash. They requested our PVCs, but we told them we couldn’t give them. At the end of the day, they gave each of us N15,000. We were about 60,” he said.

Also, a medical doctor residing in the Iremo area of Ife said the APC began its cash distribution on Tuesday.

“I am aware that both parties started their cash distribution on Tuesday. Some of my people in Sabo, Ilare, Oluorogbo and Enuwa collected the money. APC offered N15,000, while Accord paid N10,000,” he said.

Ikire

In Ikire, the hometown of the APC candidate, Saturday PUNCH learnt that both the APC and the Accord Party were inducing voters with cash gifts ranging from N10,000 to N20,000.

A resident of the town, Oreoluwa Tolulope, said supporters of Oyebamiji and those of the senator representing Osun West Senatorial District, Lere Oyewumi, flooded all the wards in the town with cash.

“APC is offering N15,000, while Accord is providing N10,000. They started about a week ago,” he said.

It was gathered that in Boluwaduro LGA, the Accord Party was offering N10,000 per eligible voter and asking beneficiaries to swear by the Ogun deity that they would vote for Adeleke.

However, the APC had yet to commence cash distribution as of the time of filing this report, although two chieftains in the council said the party had budgeted N10,000 per voter.

In Ede, Adeleke’s hometown, Accord started distributing N10,000 to eligible voters as far back as two weeks ago, according to many residents.

It was learnt that the party initially asked voters to form groups of 100 and offered each group N1m before resorting to paying N10,000 to individuals at polling units.

Similarly, the APC began offering N15,000 per eligible voter on Tuesday in a move aimed at attracting more voters.

One of the APC leaders in Ede, who spoke on condition of anonymity on Friday, said, “The Adeleke people have been distributing N10,000 for the past two weeks. We waited to see how far they could go, and we decided to give them a run for their money. We started distributing N15,000 on Tuesday, and that will continue until election day.”

Last week, an APC chieftain, Alhaja Falilat Yusuf, popularly known as Ero-Arike, was seen in a viral video distributing bags of rice to women and urging them to vote for Oyebamiji.

She also placed curses on anyone, especially women, who collected the rice but failed to vote for the APC candidate.

Similarly, some voters were seen taking an oath while collecting cash to vote for Adeleke.

Police warn against vote-buying

Meanwhile, the police warned politicians and voters against vote-buying, saying anyone caught would be arrested and prosecuted.

The Force Public Relations Officer, Okokon Iniedu, stated this on Friday while speaking with journalists at the Osun State Police Command Headquarters in Osogbo after addressing officers deployed for the election.

He described vote-buying as an electoral offence that would not be tolerated.

Iniedu also pledged adequate security for INEC ad hoc staff and National Youth Service Corps members throughout the electoral process.

Eight killed in one week, soldiers deployed

It was gathered that no fewer than eight persons were killed between Monday night and the early hours of Friday in Ilesa and Esa-Oke.

At about 8pm on Monday, three persons identified simply as Idowu, Yinka and Eja were killed around the Imo area of Ilesa.

Similarly, two persons were killed around the Boluwaduro area of Ilesa on Wednesday.

An Accord supporter in Ilesa, Sunday Obube, and another person were also reportedly killed by suspected political thugs on Thursday.

In the same vein, Dele Ayegbo, a nephew of the APC Governorship Campaign Director-General, Wole Oke, was reportedly killed in Esa-Oke, Obokun Local Government Area, on Wednesday.

Also, gunmen reportedly shot dead one Osaretine Obasohan at Oni Eran Area, Ilesa on Friday.

Residents said Obasohan was walking on the road when the assailants, said to be travelling in a vehicle, shot him at close range.

During a telephone interview, the spokesperson for the Osun State Police Command, Abiodun Ojelabi, confirmed the killing, which he linked to cult clashes.

“He (victim) was also suspected to be a cultist. The incident happened early this morning (Friday) around 7am at Omi Eran area,” he added.

Checks by Saturday PUNCH indicated that soldiers with Armoured Personnel Carrier were deployed in the Osun/Kwara boundary in Ora, Ifedayo LGA over rising tension in the state.

Soldiers were also deployed in large numbers to Esa-Oke, Ilesa, Ikoyi, a community along Osun/Oyo, and Owens, an Osun/Ondo boundary community, among others.

Commenting on the deployment of security to especially flash points across the state.

Adeleke, Oyebamiji camps trade tackles over planned attacks

Also, the campaign council of the APC on Friday accused Governor Adeleke of keeping suspected hoodlums in the Government House in Osogbo.

Addressing journalists in Osogbo, a member of the media committee of the APC campaign council, Kehinde Ayantunji, called on the Inspector General of Police, Olatunji Disu, and the Director General of Department of Service, Adeola Ajayi, to immediately act on the complaint before the suspects were relocated to another place.

“As I am talking to you now, we have intelligence that a large number of political thugs have been mobilised into the Government House. In the last two hours, they have been moving in and out, and our intelligence has confirmed that most of these people are not from these states.

“The two individuals who led those thugs are Olowe and Iberu; these are the codenames given to them at the Government House this afternoon.

“We have no hesitation in concluding that some of these suspected political thugs are imported from Lagos with the registration numbers of these five groups. We are not just raising this alarm, we have double-checked our intelligence and we have pictorial evidence of what we are saying here this afternoon.

“The target is simple, having realised the imminent defeat in the state’s capital territory, that is Osogbo, Irepodun and Egbedore, the agenda is to mobilise them with funds and ammunition to destabilise Ward 5, Osogbo Local Government; Ward 4, Ward 8, Okini, in Egbedore Local Government, Ido Osun, and Ofatedo Local Government,” Ayantunji said.

However, the Accord Party bemoaned alleged statewide attacks on members and supporters and the attendant consequences on their lives and property across the state.

The state chairman of the party, Pastor Victor Akande, raised the alarm that political thugs had continued to unleash mayhem on members and supporters of his party, alleging that in addition to the killings, several others were wounded and were receiving treatment across different local government areas of the state.

Akande, in a statement on Friday, alleged that several houses across the state had also been attacked, vandalised and looted, while some had been pencilled for attack ahead of the election.

He said, “At Osogbo, five names of top appointees of Accord candidate, Ademola Adeleke, have been pencilled down for attacks and arrest. As of yesterday (Thursday), a manhunt was launched for one of the top appointees. Heavily armed thugs launched sporadic gun attacks across Obokun LGA, Odo Otin LGA, Boripe LGA, Irewole LGA and several others.

“At Iree town, gun attacks took place all through the night with many Accord members injured while the palace of Aree of Iree was attacked with multiple gun attacks from all corners. Five injuries were reported in the palace. At Obokun, attacks and killings have continued unabated with several houses burnt at Esa Oke. The violence started two days ago with the security agencies unable to contain it.

“At Odo Otin, the attacks took place at Okuku and other towns with over 20 Accord members receiving treatment for various gunshots. At Ikire, the house of 25 Accord members were raided and their family members molested while the houses were openly vandalised. The attack did not spare the house of the Director General of the campaign, Senator Lere Oyewumi.

“At Ifewara, a thug, who was arrested and later released, was reported to have coordinated sporadic attacks on the Accord members and their residences. Several injuries were reported.”

Election may not be credible — YIAGA Africa

Analysing the events leading to the election, the Executive Director of YIAGA Africa, Samson Itodo, expressed concern that the outcome of the poll might not be credible, citing widespread vote-buying and violence.

He lamented what he described as the “alarming rate” of voter inducement and political violence, condemning the development as the weaponisation of poverty and the monetisation of politics.

Itodo warned that attempts to undermine electoral institutions and create an atmosphere of intimidation could affect the credibility of the election.

“YIAGA Africa is very worried about the alarming rate of voter inducement and violence in the build-up to this election. This weaponisation of poverty and attempt to monetise politics is highly disturbing, and we urge voters to vote their conscience.

“When politics is determined by the highest bidder and the highest tender, what suffers is governance, transparency, integrity and accountability,” he said.

Itodo also raised concerns over the level of violence recorded in the state, noting that 34 deaths had been linked to the build-up to the election.

“Osun is currently tense and highly competitive, signposted by violence. When you have attempts to undermine institutions from performing their constitutional functions, what you get is a questionable outcome,” he added. (Credit: Saturday PUNCH)