Off-season elections: Vote buying, violence, mar polls
….AA governorship candidate arrested in Kogi
….Youths beat up, parade policeman for allegedly snatching election materials in Imo
…..EFCC arrests 14 suspected vote-buyers, intercepts N11m cash in Imo, Bayelsa
…INEC suspends election in nine wards of Kogi LGA over malpractice
…Abducted INEC official regains freedom
Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), said vote buying and electoral violence remained the sore points in the Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi governorship elections.
Dr Jack Johnson, Member of the CDD Election Analysis Centre (CDD-EAC) made this known in Abuja at a news conference on the off-cycle elections.
Jackson said that the CDD-EAC had been observing the off-cycle elections in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi with a deployment of over 150 fact-checkers and observers in all three states, as well as a team of data clerks, reviewers and analysts in its situation room in Abuja.
He said that overall there was an early commencement of polls as well as the usage of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), however, there were several reports about voter inducement across all three states.
” Observers reported incidents in PU 1, Ward 8 and PU 11, Ward 1 in Sagbama LGA in Bayelsa West.
“In Bayelsa Central, vote trading was reported in PU 16, Ward 6 in Yenegoa LGA, PU 22, Ward 13 in Southern Ijaw LGA with reports of voter inducements ranging from N5,000 – N22,000, including other items such as wrappers.
“In PU 30 and 31, Ward 13, along with money, rice was also shared to buy votes.
” We are concerned that there were allusions that it might be linked to the delayed flood and subsidy palliatives that state governments only started distributing two days ago.”
Jackson said that CDD observed that in Kogi, there were reports of vote buying in PUs 004, 038 and 039 in Ward A of Lokoja LGA, where party agents were allegedly sharing out money to voters upon confirmation that they voted for their party candidates.
He further said that the two major parties’ agents were reported to have engaged in vote buying, with N2000 to N3000 shared and same at PU3 Mbutu Ward, Aboh Mbaise LGA as well as PU11, Civic Centre Ward, Mbaitoli LGA.
He added that in PU 7, Central School UmuNakanu Ehime LGA, in Imo, there were reports that INEC ad hoc staff were given monetary inducements by party officials.
He said that incidents of vote buying were concentrated in Mbaitoli-Ezinihitte, Owerri West and Njaba LGAs with the highest number of collected PVCs amongst the LGAs in the state with 150,012 and 134,192 cards.”
Jackson said that regrettably, electoral violence remained a sore point in this election.
He added that electoral violence was reported in Dekini LGA, specifically in Agala Ogane PU, Anyigba town, where a thug was reportedly shot and killed by military officials while fleeing in an attempt to snatch a ballot box.
“There was a similar attempt in Ganaja PU, Ajaokuta LGA where the LGA chair was apprehended by voters.
“In Yenagoa LGA, observers reported that one person was shot at Famgbe community and, in PU 24 Ward, voting ended abruptly when thugs destroyed election materials at about 11:45 a.m.
“We note that in these area polling units, there was little or no presence of security officials.
“Similar instances were reported in Brass PU 7 Ward 7, observers reported that there were no security agents as late as 10:19 a.m. despite voting having started.”
Jackson said CDD also noted some election irregularities as well as fake news.
He said that days before the election, it was consistently claimed that the SDP candidate in Kogi, Murtala Ajaka, stepped down from the race and on the morning of the election, a false message was circulated that Ajaka was disqualified because of his running mate’s certificate controversy.
He added that there was a similar situation in Imo, where a video was circulated that purportedly showed the PDP’s candidate, Sam Anyanwu, had stepped down and endorsed the incumbent governor of the APC.
He, however, said that the video was similarly debunked but not before it had been widely reported on social media and news platforms.
Governorship candidate arrested in Kogi
The governorship candidate of the Action Alliance in the ongoing gubernatorial elections in Kogi State, Olayinka Braimoh, has been arrested.
His media aide, Musa Yakubu, who confirmed the arrest to journalists, said his principal was arrested by security operatives in Kabba.
Musa revealed that the candidate and seven of his security details were nabbed after campaign materials were allegedly found in his car.
Salient Times could not reach the state police command for comment as of the time of filing this report.
Braimoh’s media aide had earlier raised the alarm over the AA candidate’s whereabouts.
“The last time I heard from him was in the morning when he called from Kabba town, but all attempts to get through to him since that time proved abortive,” Yakubu said.
“His mobile lines have been switched off, including his entourage.”
EFCC Arrests 14 Suspected Vote-Buyers, Intercepts N11m Cash In Imo, Bayelsa
Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have arrested fourteen suspected vote-buyers and intercepted N11m cash in the off-cycle governorship elections.
“Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, have arrested 14 (Fourteen) suspected vote buyers in Otueke, Adawari playgrounds in Bayelsa State and at various polling units in Imo and Kogi States,” the anti-corruption agency said in a late Saturday statement.
“They were arrested on Saturday, November 11, 2023, in intelligence-driven operations that commenced several days before the ongoing governorship elections in the three states.”
It also intercepted N11m cash in Bayelsa and Imo states.
“Also, a total sum of N11,040,000 (Eleven Million, Forty Thousand Naira only) comprising N9,310,000 (Nine Million, Three Hundred and Ten Thousand Naira) intercepted from suspected vote buyers and sellers in Bayelsa and N1,730,000 (One Million, Seven Hundred and Thirty Thousand Naira) intercepted from electoral fraud suspects across Imo State, were also recovered from them,” it added.
“Also, two vehicles were intercepted from the suspects. They will be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.”
The feat comes after the anti-crime agency vowed to clamp down on vote-buying and related crimes in the off-season elections.
“The Commission’s monitoring operations are to tackle any form of voter’s inducement through vote buying, vote selling, and other manipulation of the electoral processes at variance with the Electoral Act,” INEC said.
In the same vein, another anti-corruption body the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) sent its operatives to the states.
“The Commission’s operatives have been deployed to the 56 Local Government Areas and 649 Wards to monitor and prevent vote buying and other electoral malpractices at the various polling units during the electoral exercise,” ICPC added.
Youths beat up, parade policeman for allegedly snatching election materials
A police officer has been rough handled by community youths in Imo State after he allegedly snatched election materials at a polling unit.
Salient Times learnt that the officer, alongside others, is attached to a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Ikeduru Local Government Area.
They were said to have been instructed by the politician to snatch ballots at Amakohia Ikeduru Collation Center, where APC lost.
However, the community youths caught one while others took to their heels.
INEC suspends election in nine wards of Kogi LGA over malpractice
Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it has suspended election in the nine wards in Ogori Magongo LGA of Kogi state due to cases of electoral malpractice.
Mohammed Haruna, INEC’s national commissioner and member of information and voter education committee, announced the suspension of the election in a statement on Saturday evening.
The off-cycle governorship elections were held on Saturday in Bayelsa, Kogi, and Imo states.
Haruna said irregularities such as completed result sheets before voting, and other serious issues were recorded in nine wards.
He said the incidents in the affected areas are being investigated, adding that the next course of action would be announced in 24 hours.
“The commission has received reports from our officials in Kogi state on incidences of electoral malpractices, particularly the incident of result sheets completed before voting,” the statement reads.
“Reports indicate that the incidents occurred in Adavi, Ajaokuta, Ogori/Magongo, Okehi and Okene local government areas.
“The most serious incidents occurred in Ogori/Magongo, affecting nine of 10 registration areas.
“This is entirely unacceptable. Any result not emanating from the commission’s process in the polling units will not be accepted.
“The commission is determined not to reward bad behaviour. Consequently, the election in the nine Wards in Ogori/Magongo LGA (Eni, Okibo, Okesi, Ileteju, Aiyeromi, Ugugu, Obinoyin, Obatgben and Oturu) is at this moment suspended.
“The incidences in the other local government areas are being thoroughly investigated, and the outcome, including the way forward, will be announced in the next 24 hours.”
“Meanwhile, as the processes continue, we follow the audit trail of personnel and materials to ascertain those who may have been complicit in undermining the process.
“We have a record of all officials deployed at various levels as supervisors, monitors, technical staff or polling unit officials and all election materials issued to them. Appropriate sanctions will be applied where necessary.”
The national commissioner assured voters of INEC’s commitment to ensure their votes are protected and respected.
