Vote Buying, Result Manipulation Trails Imo, Bayelsa, Kogi Off-cycle Election
Alleged incidents of vote-buying and result manipulation have been recorded in Nigeria’s ongoing off-cycle gubernatorial elections in Imo, Kogi, and Bayelsa States.
Amidst the late arrival of election officials in many polling units in Imo State, our correspondent in the state, who has visited several polling units in Eziobodo and Ihiagwa in Owerri West Local Government of Imo State, observed polling agents offering electorates money to cast votes for their preferred candidates.
“Here at polling unit 006, Community School, Ihiagwa, political parties (party names withheld) are soliciting votes with N2,000.”
At another polling unit in Imo, Omuma 10, PU035, Health Centre, Oru East, Cable Index reported that party agents “walked up to the journalists and offered them money for votes, thinking they were voters.”
The Cable Index also reported that voters at Ward 10, PU 11, Yenagoa LG, Agudama-Ekpetiama community, and Bayelsa state, collected money from party representatives after casting their votes.
In Kogi State, The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said it is currently investigating a report that election results in some polling units in the state were pre-filled before the start of the election.
