Barely 72 hours to the Osun State governorship election an Election Observer Group has alleged that all political parties involved in the election have started buying votes massively before the D-day.
A coalition of civil rights organisations under the Umbrella of Transition Monitoring Group told newsmen that its members had uncovered plans being carried out by politicians to disrupt the electoral process through vote buying and electoral violence.
The organisation has also said it would be deploying 300 citizen observers in the 30 Local Government Areas in the state due to the plans it had discovered.
The group further alleged that independent investigations conducted by its agents had discovered that all the contestants for the governorship seat of Osun state had started distributing money, food items as well as gifts in 12 local Government Areas of the state, with the aim of inducing the indigenes to vote in their favour; this is asides the plans to unleash violence on the election day itself.
According to the Chairperson of the Transition Monitoring Group, Dr Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi who presented a statement entitled; the ugly trend of voters inducement/vote-buying in Osun is inimical to the credibility of the electoral process which read in part;
“As part of its commitment to promoting free, fair as well as effective and accountable management of the election, TMG will observe the 2018 Osun State governorship election. TMG in collaboration with its members will deploy 300 citizen observers across the 30 LGAs in the state to observe the Election Day processes and conduct of the security and other stakeholders during the election.”
The chairperson further called on security agencies as well as election monitoring groups to work towards stopping the processes of vote buying in Osun state while she advised that there should be adequate deployment of security personnel to maintain law and order at polling units and also to ensure ensuring the arrest and prosecution of perpetrators of electoral offences.
According to the Chairperson the votes of the citizens should be jealously guarded and vote buying is an electoral offence capable of undermining the legitimacy of elections which leads to a weakened democracy.
The statement reads further;
“In the build-up to the September 22, 2018 governorship election in Osun, TMG has received reports of distribution of money, food items and gifts by politicians at Boripe, Atakumosa East, Atakumosa West, Ife North, Ife South, Obokun, Ede North, Egbedore, Boluwaduro, Ila, Irepodun, Iwo Local Government Areas of the state.
These ugly trends are dangerous recipe against the credibility of the electoral process. The rampant case of voter inducements does not portray the electoral process in good light as it creates serious questions on the integrity of the process and legitimacy of its outcome.
TMG has also received reports of violence or threats of violence as political parties go out for campaigns. We, therefore, call on candidates and their supporters to remain civil in their campaigns. The indigenes of Osun State should refuse to be used as instruments for violence even as we urge citizens to get involved in the electoral process peacefully.
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Accusation and counter-accusations of vandalisation of billboards by political parties are so unfortunate and should be discouraged. This is indeed an early warning signal that security agencies should investigate to ensure a peaceful election on September 22.
As the election approaches, there is the need to improve on this especially to ensure citizens collect their PVCs and come out to vote on Election Day. TMG enjoins the police, Department of State Services, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps and other major election monitors to subdue the issue of voter inducement across the state ahead of the elections.
We also urge citizens to say no to vote-buying as any politician that gives citizens money for their votes does not have good plans for them. We, therefore, urge the citizens of Osun to come out on Election Day and vote for the right candidate that will move the state forward.”
The Osun state governorship election is a hotly contested one as major heavyweights in the state are the major contenders including Senators Ademola Adeleke and Iyiola Omisore and takes place on September 22, Three days from now.