A winner is set to emerge from the Ondo State Governorship Election after the Independent National Electoral Commission uploaded 98 per cent of results on its Result Viewing Portal on Saturday night.
The electoral commission as of 10.55pm had successfully transmitted results from 3,875 out of 3,933 polling units where the elections were held in the state, thus paving the way for the collation of results.
The governorship election was, however, marred by widespread vote-buying, as party loyalists distributed money to voters at different locations close to polling units across the state.
Ahead of the election day, INEC had announced that no fewer than 17 political parties would participate in the poll, with 1,793,914 voters expected to determine the fate of the candidates.
Many observers had anticipated a direct contest between the incumbent governor of the state, Lucky Aiyedatiwa of the All Progressives Congress and Agboola Ajayi of the Peoples Democratic Party.
To bolster security, the Nigerian Police Force deployed 22,239 officers, while the Federal Road Safety Corps sent 1,500 personnel, along with 25 patrol vehicles, seven tow trucks, and six ambulances.
Additionally, 6,000 officers from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and agents from the Department of State Services were mobilised for the exercise.
Low turnout of voters was reported in many polling units, as the election was concluded in most units by 2pm.
There was, however, a significant turnout of voters at the National Boat Jetty in Igbonla, in Ilaje Local Government Area.
As promised by INEC, there was early arrival of voting materials in almost all the local government areas across the state, as ad hoc staff arrived before 8am in readiness for the exercise.
Officials commenced the distribution of materials to various units at the Registration Area Centres with Polling Unit Officers and members of the National Youth Service Corps deployed for the election were on the ground to get electoral materials.
Policemen were also seen by our correspondents accompanying the materials and officials to various units from the registration area centres.
An INEC official told our correspondent that the idea was to ensure that the election started as scheduled, noting that it was the only way the process could go on without delay.
The official said, “We started the distribution of materials on time and our polling unit officers left early. Hopefully, the election can start as scheduled. No room for delay.”
At Oke Imikan, Open Space, Alade Ward 02, Idanre, the first voter cast his vote at exactly 8:41am.
Before the commencement of voting, many voters had stormed the polling centre to check the register displayed on the wall.
By 8.30am, over 50 voters were already in the queue awaiting their turn to vote.
INEC ad hoc staff at the polling unit earlier addressed the voters on the procedures, urging them to properly fold their ballot papers to avoid exposing the candidate they voted for.
The state Governor and APC candidate, Aiyedatiwa, cast his vote at his polling unit in Igbo Ward 4, Obenla community, Ilaje LGA at 8.48am.
Aiyedatiwa, who was escorted by his security aides, arrived at his polling unit around 8:46 am.
Speaking with newsmen after casting his vote, Aiyedatiwa commended INEC officials for arriving early at the various polling units with voting materials.
He described the exercise as well coordinated while commending the electoral umpire for its efficiency, especially as observed in his ward.
The governor also expressed optimism that he would win the governorship election, saying that it would be a big celebration for his party at the end of the election.
The PDP candidate, Ajayi, alongside his wife, arrived at the polling booth at around 10:36am and were accredited at about 10:45am for voting.
Ajayi, speaking with newsmen at his Unit 004, Apoi Ward 2, Kiribo, in the Ese-Odo Local Government Area of the state, accused INEC of bias, saying he received reports of delays in the commencement of voting in parts of the state.
Ajayi said it took almost 10 minutes before he could cast his vote and described the act as an attempt to frustrate voters.
“Why are security personnel stationed so close to my polling unit? They are intimidating voters. The distance between voters and military officers is uncomfortably close,” he added.
Ajayi also alleged that the election was being compromised.
The APC governorship candidate, Aiyedatiwa, won his unit, polling 128 votes to defeat Ajayi of the PDP who scored just three votes.
Ajayi also won his unit, polling 194 votes to defeat Ayedatiwa who had three votes.
Aiyedatiwa’s running mate, Adelami, also emerged victorious at his polling unit.
At Unit 16, Igboroko 2, Ward 003, Almadiya Grammar School in Iselu, Owo, where he voted, Adelami polled 209 votes, while the PDP had 11 votes.
Speaking on BVAS delay, Ajayi said, “The system is not perfect, things are not working, and it took more than 10 minutes before the BVAS could accredit me even as the candidate of the PDP. There are lots of complaints across the state.
“If INEC cannot successfully organise an election in just one state, then you must know that we are running into anarchy in Nigeria.
“I have been getting reports across the state, and it is the same, including me. I am a victim here in my unit and I want to say it is deliberate on the part of the REC and the INEC.
“Don’t forget, we said earlier that we don’t trust Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, who is the REC; she can’t be fair.
“The system is compromised and there are complaints everywhere in the state. BVAS not working and don’t forget that the machine is a rigging tool for them.
“It is a very shameful exercise, and I think Nigerians should just call on INEC chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu; if he can’t do the job, he should honourably resign, because the system is compromised. This is sad.”
Aside from Ajayi who decried the slow response of BVAS during the process of accrediting him, the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Aiyedatiwa on Community Engagement, Andrew Ogunsakin, also lamented that the BVAS machine was slow at his unit.
Ogunsakin, who voted at Majokolasan Unit 001, Ward 4, Igbotako, in Okitipupa Local Government Area of the state, said the BVAS machine could have been affected by the poor network prevalent in the area.
Incidents of voter inducement were reported in several areas across the 18 LGAs of the state despite heavy security measures, as observed by our correspondents.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had warned both vote buyers and sellers to stay away or face legal consequences.
Vote-buying has repeated itself in almost every off-cycle election, and even in the general elections.
On Saturday, DSS officials arrested a suspected vote buyer at Ward 4, Polling Unit 007, outside St Stephen’s Primary School in Akure, the state capital, around 9am.
The suspect was found with two bags of money suspected to be for voter inducement.
But with EFCC officials stationed in key areas, reports of voter inducement surfaced along Arakale Road in Akure.
Our correspondent observed vote trading at Ward 02, Polling Unit 3, Eruoba, and Polling Unit 17, Egbedi Ward 11, Owode Imuagun, in the Arakale market area of Akure LGA.
At Eruoba Ward, voters were reportedly paid an undisclosed amount after casting their ballots, with a designated individual facilitating the payments.
In Owode Imuagun, voters were instructed to write down their names after voting and were directed to a nearby building to collect an undisclosed amount of money.
Our correspondent observed the presence of APC and PDP agents at the two polling units.
Also, at the two polling units where vote trading was observed, there was a noticeable presence of police operatives.
Apart from Akure, vote-trading also took place at some polling units in Irele and Idanre local government areas.
It was observed that some youths in Irele fought over money allegedly given to them by one of the major political parties to share.
At some of the units monitored in Owo, Akoko North-West, Akoko North-East LGAs and other northern senatorial district, it was learnt that politicians paid as much as N15,000 per vote.
It was also gathered that voters happily collected the money given to them and cast their votes for the seller, who would wait close to the polling booth to ensure that the voter fulfilled the pledge of voting for his (buyer) party.
In some units, it was a case of the highest bidders as some political parties were paying N15,000, while some paid as low as N5,000.
Some party agents stormed the Anglican Primary School in Irele LGA with cash meant for vote-buying.
A female agent showed her cash to voters, urging them to quickly check their names on the register.
Another party agent brought in money in two Ghana-Must-Go bags with a minivan, and she was seen drawing up a list.
Some party agents approached her and they were also seen discussing.
When asked why she risked coming out to vote in her late stage of pregnancy, a resident replied, “d’ibo ko sebe”, meaning, “vote and cook a pot of soup” referring to the money that she intended to get from agents.
A voter in Ikare Akoko, who simply identified himself as Karim, confirmed that he received N15,000 before voting for the candidate who offered him money.
Karim, however, attributed the vote trading to hardship in the country.
“I can’t tell a lie; I collected N15,000. We know it’s not good but we don’t have an option. The country is very hard,” he stated.
A community leader in Oba Akoko, Akoko South West Local Government Area, speaking on condition of anonymity, told our correspondent that N10,000 was paid per vote by politicians.
He, however, declined to mention the political party.
“All of them (parties) gave people money for votes. I know a person who collected N10,000 to vote for a candidate of a party,” he said.
When contacted, the spokesman for the EFCC, Dele Oyewale, said reports of arrests of vote-buyers were being collated.
“We are still collating reports of arrests made. I have not been briefed yet on the matter,” Oyewale said in a telephone interview.
The Director General of the PDP Campaign Council for the Ondo State governorship election, Dr Eddy Olafeso, accused the APC of engaging in vote-buying in his unit with N10,000 per voter.
He said, “We have been here around 8am and everything appears in line with the electoral law, especially the area where I voted. But our fear is the APC, which has not done anything for the people in the last four years, smouldering up the process by paying N10,000 to each voter.
“We have witnessed it here and we have complained, and it appears intractable.
“You know it is a long process, and voting is the first stage. We are waiting for it to be uploaded into iREV. We are waiting to take ours from Form E8CA to ensure that everything is appropriately recorded.”
Reacting, an APC chieftain in the area, who gave his name as Ademigun, said it was wrong to accuse his party of vote-buying as there was no evidence to prove it.
He said, “I think it is wrong to accuse the APC of vote-buying. There is no proof of that. I don’t think they should make such an allegation.”
He noted that the PDP was afraid of the imminent defeat its governorship candidate would suffer.
Speaking on the widespread vote-buying in the election, the Communications Officer of an election observer group, Yiaga Africa, Jennifer Dafwat, said economic hardship fuelled vote-buying.
She expressed the need for political consciousness and educating the electorate about the significance of their votes.
Lending his voice, the Executive Director of the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, Debo Adeniran, attributed vote-buying not only to poverty but to the widespread culture of corruption in the political system.
Also, the Police Service Commission said a pocket of vote-buying was recorded in some polling centres in the Ondo election.
The PSC, which deployed staff to monitor the conduct of police officers, lamented that vote-buying had become a recurring decimal in elections in the country.
“There were, however, reports of pockets of vote-buying in some voting centres, which has become a recurring decimal in elections in the country,” the commission’s spokesperson, Ikechukwu Ani, stated in the commission’s interim report on the election.
Ani, however, commended security personnel deployed for the election in the state.
Many cars and motorcycles were impounded within the Akure metropolis by the police on Saturday, as their owners violated the restriction order by the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.
Some of the violators, arrested along Oyemekun Road, Akure, had their vehicles and motorcycles impounded by police operatives who rejected various excuses given by them.
A man from Igoba, near Ado Garage, Akure, identified simply as Dejo, told the newsmen that he went to vote at Champion Junction, Akure.
Dejo, who added that he was arrested while returning home, said despite showing his voter card to the police, they still impounded his motorcycle.
“My motorcycle has been impounded in the last four hours. I came from Igoba to vote at Champion Junction and showed them my voter card, yet the police won’t allow me to go with my motorcycle.
“More than 60 motorcycles and 10 vehicles are being impounded here. You can count them. Help me beg them,” Dejo said.
END.
