February 22, 2025
INEC-electoral-materials

A ballot box filled with ballot is pictured before being counted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at a polling station in Yenagoa, in Nigeria's Bayelsa State, on April 16, 2011, after Nigeria's crucial presidential election and a bid by Africa's most populous country to hold its cleanest polls for head of state since the end of military rule. AFP PHOTO / PIUS UTOMI EKPEI

Gbolahan Salman Sokoto
There was impressive turnout of voters in most of the polling units visited by our correspondent including Yabo local government area of Sokoto State during the rerun election of Yabo/Shagari House of Representative.
Meanwhile it was gathered that excessive vote buying of voters were reported in most of the polling units visited by our correspondents in the state.
Recalled that the court of appeal in it’s ruling had ordered a re-run election in one Federal Constituency of Yabo/Shagari federal house of representatives and two state assembly of Bodinga North as well as Tambuwal West respectively.
Information gathered by our correspondent revealed that both the two leading political parties in the state, the All Progressive Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party paid each voter between 20,000 and 35,000 naira.
One of the voters, Abubakar Ibrahim, who spoke with our correspondent said he was offered sum of 20,000 naira by an agent while another agent offered him sum of 30,000 naira.
“I was offered sum of 20,000 naira by one party agent while another person promised me 10,000 before I vote and to receive additional 20,000 naira after voting making sum of 30,000.
“I am still taking my time to know who to votes for depending on how much they can offer me” he added.
Also at Gidan Masha in Lambara ward of Shagari local government area of the state, massive vote buying was reportedly happening as each voters was offering between 25,000 and 35,000 naira depending on their bargaining power.
Another source who spoke with our correspondent on condition of anonymity confirmed that in another polling units, apart from the cash being offering voters, some of the party even offered us water pumping machine in exchange for their votes.
“Some of our people were given a water pumping machine in exchange for their votes. You know this is a village and most voters here are farmers, so they in exchange for the votes also gave out water pumping machine in some of the polling units”
Some of the voters who spoke with our correspondent however commends security agents for their display of professionalism while discharging their duties during the exercise.
Usman Yahya, a voter from Shagari who spoke with our correspondent said the way the security agents displayed during the process was so professional.
“I love the way the security agents displayed their profession in almost all the polling units here in the state.
“Our hope is that they will do the needful till the end of the exercise so that the real winner of the election will be announced and not to disrupt the exercise ” he added.

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