Osun poll: EFCC arrests suspected vote buyers

Three persons have been arrested by the Economic Financial Crimes Commission for alleged vote-buying.

The suspects are Jimoh Kazeem, Adeyemo Bahir, and Abidogun Ismail.

They were arrested at Polling Unit 002, Ward 2, Ababu, Isale Osun, Osogbo.

Meanwhile, CLEEN Foundation alleged that security agents deployed for Saturday’s governorship election in Osun State, looked the other way while political party agents openly buy votes for as low as N3,000.

This is contained in the preliminary statement of the foundation’s Election Security Support Centre (ESSC) on ‘2022 Osun State governorship election’ signed by Acting Executive Director of the CLEEN Foundation, Ms Ruth Olofin.

According to the report, the 60 citizen observers deployed across the 30 Local Government Areas of Osun State were to monitor the degree to which security agencies and other critical stakeholders complied with electoral guidelines governing the conduct of the elections from the time the polls opened to 12 noon on Election Day.

The Programme Manager of the foundation, Mrs Chigozirim Okoro, who presented the report, said, “For instance in PU 014, Ward 05, Sport centre Obafemi Awolowo University, Ife- Central LGA, a party loyalist was seen canvassing to pay N10,000 if voters are ready to vote for his party.

“Also in PU 009, Ward 11, Oke Aree, Boripe LGA, massive vote-trading was observed as voters show the party voted for and tallies were issued by party agents to the voter to claim the money.

“In PU 09, Ward 01, Idilapo ogodobo, Obokun LGA, voters were given money inside a bar house to vote for a political party.”