REVEALED: How political parties bought votes for N2000 during Osun governorship election

The Yiaga Africa has said that the Osun State governorship election was characterized by vote-buying, especially by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), whose agents buy votes for as low as N2,000 (About $4)

This is contained in the preliminary report of the organisation, and jointly signed by Dr Hussain Abdu and Samson Itodo Board Chair, Yiaga Africa and Executive Director Yiaga Africa respectively.

“Yiaga Africa received and verified acts of vote-buying perpetrated by agents of the APC and PDP in some PUs. 

"For instance, PU 009, Akinlalu Commercial Grammar School, Ward 01 in Ife North. The party agents strategically positioned themselves by the voting cubicle to see how voters marked their ballots. 

"In PU 003 Opp. Olomu Mosque in Osogbo, PDP party agents were seen handing out between N2000 and N5000 to induce voters.

“Also, in Disu Polling Unit 003, ward 7 in Orolu LGA, APC agents were seen distributing N4000 to voters who voted for the party while PDP party agents were seen distributing N2000 to induce voters,” the report said.

The report also said that the secrecy of the ballots was compromised as witnessed in Ward 11, Unit 3, Palace Town Hall (old post office Iree) in Boripe, where Yiaga Africa observed voters showing how they mark their ballot papers to APC party agents before dropping them in the ballot box.

According to the report, intimidation of voters was observed and verified at Open Space-Under Tree, Ojude Oke, PU 010, Iragbiji Ward 4, Boripe LGA, where thugs associated with the APC threatened to stab any voter who did not vote for the APC.