Vote-buying allegations disrupt the Edo election; Oshiomhole refutes reports that the APC is purchasing votes, and nine people are arrested.
Adams Oshiomhole, a former governor of Edo State, has refuted the claim that the All Progressives Congress (APC) brought cash to purchase votes.
After casting his ballot in the state’s Etsako West Local Government Area in Iyamho, Ward 10 Unit 01, Oshiomhole spoke with reporters and said it was absurd that the opposition parties were making such baseless accusations.
“I find it hilarious when I hear accusations of this nature,” he said. Where did you witness them exchanging money?
“People wanted decent government, which is why they came out in great numbers to vote for us.
People came to see me during our campaign, not because I was trying to offer them something, but rather because of the things I had done for them as governor.
“Every structure I established 12, 13, years ago is still in situ, but the ones the current administration puts up are washed away in a year.
Thus, our people have noticed the distinction. He clarified, “Some individuals do tell me that they haven’t seen the genuine presence of government in their villages since I left the administration.
In the meantime, the police detained nine men on suspicion of vote-buying and other offenses.
Nine people were detained, eight of them were detained on suspicion of buying votes, while the ninth person pretended to be a reporter for one of the nation’s top television networks.
The PDP was represented by two of the suspects, Emotingham Godspower and Farawei Isaac, according to a statement made by Force Spokesperson Muyiwa Adejobi.
“The suspects were apprehended at So Cash Guest House in Ekpoma, where a significant quantity of cash and incriminating items were recovered. They were part of a larger network that included one person known as ‘Atiku’ and a kingpin known as ‘The Boss.'”
“These items included a set of fictitious identification cards, a collection of pre-filled ballot papers, and a list of voters’ names with corresponding monetary values.” He added that six more suspects were taken into custody with a sizable quantity of cash, firearms, and other goods.
Adejobi continued, “Furthermore, six individuals were detained at Auchi’s Aibotse Secondary School, next to the Meremu Hotel, for participating in vote-buying.
They are Suleiman Abdurahim, Fatima Yakubu, Yusuf Aminat (52 years old), Salihu Lukman (54 years old), and Safianu Saratu (32 years old).
This organization was discovered in possession of a sizable quantity of cash, a stash of weapons, and a comprehensive blueprint detailing tactics for intimidating voters.
The statement went on, “A fake journalist who purported to be an employee of one of Nigeria’s top television stations was also apprehended, further highlighting the extent of the criminal network.”
In a related development, the state of Egor LGA saw the arrest of two men and one woman by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on suspicion of purchasing votes.
In its preliminary assessment, Yiaga Africa claimed on Saturday that there had been troubling instances of vote-buying and logistical issues throughout the election.
The report emphasized instances of irregularities, delays, and bribery that were noted at several voting places.
In several polling places, particularly in the Igueben and Ikpoba/Okha Local Government Areas, agents of the two major political parties were observed paying voters with N10,000 each, according to Yiaga Africa.
The off-cycle governorship election in Edo State on Saturday was accused by the Election Analysis Centre (EAC) of the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD-West Africa) of being marred by vote-buying and false information.
During a briefing on the preliminary statement on the election in Abuja, Prof. Adele Jinadu, the Chair of CDD-EAC, also said that the main opposition APC and the ruling PDP had engaged in widespread vote-buying in the presence of security agents, which had increased voter turnout.
Chuks Okocha, Sunday Ehigiator, Adedayo Akinwale, Adibe Emenyonu, and Dike Onwuamaeze
