Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have apprehended a suspected vote-buyer in Akure during the Ondo governorship election.
The suspect was caught with two bags of money allegedly intended to induce voters at Ward 4, Polling Unit 007, outside St. Stephen’s Primary School in Akure, around 9 a.m. on Saturday.
Reports from the election reveal that some political parties, including the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), were allegedly involved in vote-buying, particularly in Irele Local Government Area.
At Polling Unit 007, Ajagba Ward 2 in the Irele Local Government Area, party agents were reportedly observed handing signed slips to voters, which served as payment tickets redeemable after votes were cast. Some voters disclosed that these slips would be exchanged for cash, although the exact amounts were not specified.
Meanwhile, the APC governorship candidate, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, cast his vote early in the election. Aiyedatiwa, accompanied by his security team, voted at Igbo Ward 4, Obenla community, in Ilaje Local Government Area at 8:48 a.m.
As the election unfolds, technical issues with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines have sparked complaints from voters in some polling units.
This arrest and other incidents underline the ongoing concerns about voter inducement and electoral malpractice in Nigeria’s democratic process.
