Politics
THE Integrity Friends for Truth and Peace Initiative has condemned incidents of vote-buying during the governorship and state Assembly elections in parts of Imo and Rivers states.
The group said anti-graft operatives watched as money was shared to voters in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State and also in Obio-Akpor LGA of Rivers State.
Executive Director of TIFTPI and Lead Observer, Livingston Wechie, said this in Abuja on Tuesday in its preliminary report on the elections.
The group said it observed the March 9 elections in 26 states, including the Federal Capital Territory Local Council polls, noting that the exercise was affected by voter apathy.
It noted, “In Ward 12, Units 9, 10, 11, 12 in Obio-Akpor LGA of Rivers State, politicians were distributing between N1,000 and N2,000 each to voters.
“Some of this vote-buying took place under the watchful eyes of supposed anti-graft agents who were also bought over.
“This was also recorded in Mbaitoli LGA of Imo State. Some of the vote-buying and inducements took place a day or two before the elections.
“There were cases where opposition parties had to negotiate how much to pay agents to allow them to procure votes and appropriate same among themselves in some states,” the group alleged.
The observer group also accused unnamed governors of invading collation centres with their security aides, resulting in the harassment and manhandling of innocent persons and opponents.
“There was the case of youths at Bunkure LGA in Kano who besieged a collation centre, defying threats by security agents just to defend their votes,” it added.
Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress senatorial candidate for Enugu West, Juliet Ibekaku-Nwagu, has accused some APC members of working against her during the election.
The presidential aide who lost to the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, accused an unidentified APC member of colluding with PDP to work against her interest.
“Before the elections, he openly canvassed that people should not vote for Barr. Juliet Ibekaku in an election that held on the same day and time with that of Mr. President,” she alleged in a statement without identifying the said political adversary. – Punch
– Mar. 12, 2019 @ 18:05 GMT |
Tags: Anti-graft operatives failed to check vote-buying in Imo Rivers – Group
