EdoDecides2024: Bread and Money Used to Induce Voters at Polling Units, Reports CSOs
A consortium of Civil Society Organizations(CSOs) monitoring the 2024 Gubernatorial Elections in Edo State has reported that there was high turn out of voters during the elections but voter inducements with bread as well as money was rife in different parts of the state during the elections
By: Olufemi Orunsola
A coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room (NCSSR), has announced that it observed rife cases of inducement of voters at polling units (PUs) in the September 21 governorship election in Edo State.
The group, in a statement co-signed by Yunusa Z. Ya’u, Mimidoo Achakpa and Franklin Oloniju, on Saturday afternoon, announced that its "Situation Room observers reported widespread instances of blatant vote buying and selling across several polling units, despite the huge presence of security personnel,”
The reports revealed that, “The price of votes ranged from ₦5,000 to ₦10,000 per voter in several locations, including PU08 and 09 Ward 2, Owan-East LGA; PU 02 Ward 2, Etsako-West LGA; and several polling units in Egor, Oredo and Owan-West LGAs.
The group further revealed that,“In some cases, voters were also induced with food items such as bread."
The group, however, acknowledged the arrest of the alleged two vote traders in George Idah Primary School, Ward 2, Oredo Local Government Area.
On the whole, the group commended the peaceful conduct of voters and urged them to remain calm throughout the process.
The Situation Room is made up of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) including Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), CLEEN Foundation, Action Aid Nigeria, Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD-West Africa), YIAGA Africa, are TAF Africa.
Other Civil Society Organizations involved in the election monitoring are:Emma Ezeazu Centre for Good Governance and Accountability (formerly Alliance for Credible Elections, Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), Kimpact Development Initiative, Democratic Action Group (DAG), Women’s Rights to Education Programme, Joint National Association of Persons with Disability (JONAPWD), DIG Ebonyi, New Initiative for Social Development (NISD), Life And Peace Development Organization (LAPDO), Rural Youth Initiative, Challenged Parenthood Initiative (CPI), Centre for Health and Development in Africa (CHEDA) and Josemaria Escriva Foundation.
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