- EFCC arrests over 65 persons for alleged vote buying
Despite assurances from security agencies and electoral umpire, unseemly violence, voter suppression and apathy smeared Nigeria’s governorship and state assembly elections today.
The elections were held across Nigeria on Saturday March 18, 2023.
There were cases of violence and voter suppression reported across several states on Saturday March 18, as Nigeria held its Governorship and State House of Assembly elections nationwide.
Benue, Bayelsa, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Imo, Kaduna, Kano, Ogun and Lagos states experienced varying degrees of viciousness against voters, observers and journalists.
In Imo state for example, as much as 19 ad-hoc staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), were kidnapped in the early hours of Saturday and also the police immediately swung into action and ensured the release of the abductees, sensitive election materials, including BVAS machines were carted away.
Similarly, thugs stormed polling units in Yenagoa constituency II, ward 8 and Ekeremor constituency 1, ward 1, unit 15 of Bayelsa state and carted away some election materials, while destroying others and disrupting the voting process.
An election observer in Ekiti State, Sunday Awosoro, reported harassment by suspected thugs at Irepodun/Ifelodun, in the Igede area of the state, while staff of Arise TV were reportedly brutalised in the Elegushi Palace area of Lagos State whilst covering the elections and their cameras and drone were seized.
A Vanguard newspaper editor, Prince Osuagwu, was also harassed by thugs in the Satellite area of Lagos state, on the allegation that he was using a spy pen to record activities at a polling unit in the area, which turned out to be false.
Meanwhile, INEC has postponed Saturday’s governorship and state assembly elections in 10 polling units in the Victoria Garden City (VGC) around the Lekki area of the state where elections did not hold.
The Lagos State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Segun Agbaje, said the ad hoc staff deployed to the VGC estate became hesitant to conduct the elections in the venue, alleging that they were held hostage by residents during the February 25 Presidential and National Assembly elections.
The staff instead set up voting materials in front of the estate, but residents claimed they did not feel safe about the new venue as hoodlums could disrupt the process.
“After due consultation and further directive from the national headquarters that we should remobilise here tomorrow (Sunday) morning by 08:30am to conduct the elections, Agbaje said.
Thugs also attacked a journalist working for Premier Radio in Kano state, Ashiru Umar, at Gidan Galadima, Galadanci Primary School, Gwale Local Government Area, thinking that he had captured them while snapping voters who show up their ballot papers to them after casting votes, allegedly in return for some gift items later.
Low voter turnout was also reported in many polling units, compared to the impressive turnout for the Presidential elections held two weeks ago.
The Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) also observed that in many voting centres, accreditation and voting commenced late.
“From the data gathered across 18 states at the time of analysis, CJID observed that elections started late in most states, that is, after 10:00 a.m. as against the 8.30 a.m. opening time,” the organisation said.
“From the data received, only 20 per cent of the polling units observed started election processes before 8:30 a.m…” The CJID deployed 56 observers across 31 states to observe the election day activities.
Voting has ended in most polling units across the country, while collation and counting of votes are underway.
Alleged Vote Buying: EFCC Arrests Over 65 Persons
In another development, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, says it arrested at least 65 suspects for alleged vote buying across the 28 states where governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections were conducted on Saturday.
No fewer than 65 persons were arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on Saturday 18 March 2023 across the 28 states where governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections were conducted, for alleged voter inducement.
Twenty of the suspects were arrested by operatives from the Ilorin Zonal Command while 13 suspects were nabbed by operatives on election monitoring duty at the Kaduna Zonal Command. The teams monitoring the polls in the Port Harcourt Zone arrested a total of 12 people for various offences bordering on inducing voters with money to vote their preferred candidates, while the Uyo Zonal Command made 4 arrests in Calabar. The remaining suspects were arrested in Gombe, Sokoto , kebbi and Niger states.
Those arrested in Kaduna consist of 10 males and 3 females. They were apprehended by operatives working on intelligence or chanced upon them during the monitoring exercise. A suspect allegedly involved in vote buying was nabbed at School Road, Unguwan Rimi Kaduna. The suspect who initially resisted arrest, is however in custody, pending the conclusion of the investigation.
Also in Kaduna, the Tẹam led by ACE II Esmond Garba arrested one Buhari Muhammed in PU 002 Dogara Yaro Dagari area. He was arrested with Voter Coupons, which he confessed would be used to trace and pay those who voted for his party.
Furthermore, the team monitoring the voting exercise around LEA Kabala Doki, Kaduna led by CSE Wakilu Omokide also arrested two individuals suspected of vote buying. Upon their arrest, a total sum of N67, 500, a list containing names of voters with their PVC numbers and their bank account details amongst others, were recovered from them.
Investigation so far revealed that the major modus operandi of the suspects is to give cash, transfer money, coupons and send recharge cards to eligible voters in order to induce them to vote for their candidates. A search of their persons and phones revealed that most of them had transferred money into the accounts of some voters on the lists recovered from them.
Some of the items recovered from the suspects include, voters cards, monies, list containing names and account details of voters. Others are recharge cards.
Officers of the Kaduna Command also arrested two persons in Niger State for alleged vote buying. The first suspect, one Umar.B. Ibrahim was arrested at Peter Sarki Road polling unit based on an intelligence. Upon searching his vehicle, an INEC ID tag (domestic election observer) bearing his name and photograph and also a letter of appointment from BOS ( Bago Support Organisation) as Director Liaison, were uncovered. On further enquiry, he disclosed that a certain Mr. Usman Mohammed, who belongs to his political party gave him the INEC ID tag .
The second suspect, Isa Salihu Bababida, was arrested at Unguwar Nassarawa with several lists of names, account numbers and BVN.
In Port Harcourt, the election monitoring teams arrested 10 suspects in Port Harcourt alleged to be involved in voter inducement at Moscow Road, Elekahia, Township, Mile 2, Ward 2 polling Unit 2 and 30, Ogbum, Phalga, Port Harcourt. The suspects were arrested with A4 papers that had names, telephone and account numbers of persons suspected to be voters. Also two youths who were alleged to be involved in voter inducement were arrested at Ward 2 Polling Unit 2 and 30, Ogbum, PHALGA, Port Harcourt City.
The four persons arrested at different locations in Calabar by the team from Uyo Zonal Command, led by CE Binta A. Rano, are currently volunteering their statements at the Criminal Investigation Department, Cross River State Police Command.
The team arrested one Esther Asuquo Edem, the Woman Leader of one of the political parties for Ward 11, Calabar South, Cross River State and two others, Edet Okon Etim and Asanwana Peter Eyo, for alleged vote buying in Calabar.
According to a statement by Wilson Uwujaren Head, Media & Publicity, EFCC, investigations are still on-going to determine the culpability of each suspect.
Culled from Newsguru and Premium Times
