Yiaga Africa has alleged that members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) bought votes for N5,000 and N20,000 during the Ondo governorship election.
At the election which took place on Saturday, November 16, the organisation said the 2024 off-season governorship poll was characterised by massive vote-buying.
Yiaga Africa alleged that voters were given money by politicians and their agents before they cast their votes.
A statement jointly signed by Ezenwa Nwagwu and Cynthia Mbamalu, Chair of the 2024 Ondo Election Mission and Director of Programs for Yiaga Africa respectively, agents stationed at the Odulufe, Omoke, Odosika, Ogubgobe polling units (PUs) in the Ileooluji II ward of Ileoluji LGA were seen inducing voters.
The organisation also accused security operatives at the polling units of failing to prevent the party agents from buying the vote.
It said, “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,” Yiaga said.
Condemning the practice by the party agents, Yiaga Africa said such activity contributes to electoral corruption and political inequality.
(Politics Nigeria)
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