We’re not aware money was distributed in Edo — INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission says it is not aware that political parties distributed money during the September 28 governorship election in Edo State.



The commission said its attention had yet to be called to the alleged distribution of money to the electorates by political parties in order to attract their votes.

The Director of Voter Education and Publicity at the commission, Mr. Oluwole Ozasse-Uzi, stated this in an interview with our correspondent in Abuja on Tuesday.

Political parties that took part in the election had raised the issue of using money to buy votes from the voters during the election.

Members of the Peoples Democratic Party, the All Progressives Congress and the All Progressive Grand Alliance had accused one another of wooing voters with money during the election.

The election, which was won by the APC’s Godwin Obaseki, was rejected by the PDP and its candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu.

Both the PDP and its candidate had accused the APC of rigging and that it used money to induce the voters.

Ozasse-Uzi said the commission only got to know about the allegation through the media.

He said, “We are not aware that money was spent or distributed to the electorates during the election.

“We only heard about the allegation from the media and our attention had yet to be called to the matter.

“In other words, we are not aware of this allegation.”

Ozasse-Uzi said that the commission was waiting for those who knew about the allegation to send petitions to it on the matter.

He said, “We will appreciate that those who are making the allegations should send petitions to the commission on the matter.

“We have not seen any petition on the matter. All what we heard had been on the pages of newspapers and so forth.”