In the lead-up to the highly anticipated Edo governorship election, major political parties, including the All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Labour Party (LP), are being accused of mobilising massive funds for vote-buying.
Sources have indicated that the upcoming poll, slated for next Saturday, could see unprecedented levels of vote-buying in Nigeria’s electoral history.
A source close to the situation revealed, “A vote could go as high as between N15,000 and N20,000. Agents of some of the parties have plans to mop up voter cards, though it’s unclear how they intend to use them. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) are being deployed to oversee the election.”
The financial mobilisation appears to be part of a larger, coordinated strategy by political actors to compromise voters in what has been described as a “desperate bid” to win.
Another insider confirmed that the parties involved are ready to go to extreme lengths to secure victory.
“Unfortunately, doling out of gift items during campaigns has become entrenched in our political system,” the source noted.
“Voters mortgage their votes for a pot of pottage, making them vulnerable and unable to hold the government accountable.”
The practice of vote-buying raises significant concerns about the integrity of the election.
“Unless the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies take firm action, this could be an election where vote-buying hits an all-time high,” warned one political observer.
The observer also emphasised the need for security agencies to monitor party agents closely on election day, as discussions with insiders from two leading parties revealed plans to distribute large sums of money to induce voters.
Political parties ramp up voter inducement
Yiaga Africa, a prominent election monitoring organisation, has documented cases of both the PDP and APC allegedly distributing cash and materials to sway voters ahead of the poll. Jennifer Dafwat, Media Officer for Yiaga Africa, lamented the situation.
“Election mandates are becoming less credible as a result of this sad trend. Our observers witnessed political parties handing out cash, presents, and food items in several areas.”
She pointed to specific instances where market women at Uselu Market, Egor Local Government Area (LGA), received monetary gifts ranging from N1,000 to N2,000 from both APC and PDP operatives during campaign events.
Similar patterns of inducement were observed in Esan North East and Esan South East LGAs, where PDP campaigners distributed gifts like wrappers, shirts, caps, and even cash to potential voters.
Yiaga’s findings reinforce concerns raised by Samson Isibor, chairman of the Edo State Conference of Registered Political Parties.
He described vote-buying as a sign of transactional politics and warned that parties engaging in the practice were not acting in the people’s interests.
“Those who buy votes are not coming to serve. You don’t need to buy votes from the people you want to serve. You sell your manifesto to them,” he advised.
APC, PDP, LP exchange accusations
As tensions rise ahead of the election, political parties have engaged in a war of words, accusing one another of vote-buying and other nefarious activities.
Timothy Osadolor, the PDP’s Deputy National Youth Leader, accused the APC of relying on violence and vote-buying rather than issue-based campaigning.
“The APC is not prepared for the election; they are relying on federal might and have recruited police officers into their scheme,” Osadolor claimed.
He further alleged that the APC had resorted to recruiting thugs from neighbouring states to assist in manipulating the election.
According to Osadolor, the ruling party’s actions were motivated by the growing popularity of PDP’s candidate, Asue Ighodalo.
“The APC’s ineffective candidate is intimidated by Dr. Asue Ighodalo’s popularity in Edo State,” he said, adding that the PDP was prepared to resist any attempts to rig the election.
The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, echoed these sentiments, accusing the APC of organising a “torture squad” to intimidate and abduct residents in a bid to undermine the election process.
He claimed that the APC had become desperate as the PDP’s candidate continued to gain support across the state.
However, the APC has denied these accusations, blaming the PDP. Bala Ibrahim, the APC’s National Publicity Director, accused Governor Godwin Obaseki of plotting to rig the election.
“The PDP has a history of rigging, and they are making noise about arrests, rigging, and vote-buying because they know they’ve lost grip,” Ibrahim stated.
He also accused the PDP of refusing to sign a peace accord, suggesting that their rigging mechanisms had been uncovered, rendering them unable to execute their tactics.
As election day approaches, concerns about electoral malpractice continue to mount. With accusations flying and evidence of vote-buying emerging, stakeholders are calling on INEC and security agencies to ensure a free and fair election in Edo State.
Whether these efforts will be enough to curb the growing trend of vote-buying remains to be seen.
