Politicians now distribute alcohol, food in exchange for votes, Yiaga Africa alleges

Yiaga Africa alleged that some politicians were engaged in vote buying as party agents distributed food, cash and alcoholic drinks to some voters in exchange for votes.

Mr Ezenwa Nwagwu, a board member, Yiaga Africa said this during the organisation’s news conference on its Midday situation report on Saturday’s Governorship and State Assembly elections in Abuja.

Nwagwu said that Yiaga Africa Watching The Vote (WTV) deployed the Parallel Vote Tabulation (PVT) methodology to observe the governorship elections in Benue, Delta and Kano.

He said that this involved the deployment of 900 stationary observers to represent a randomly selected sample of 300 polling units for each of the states, and 97 roving observers in the three States.

He added that Yiaga Africa deployed 517 stationary observers and 33 roving observers in the other 25 states to observe the governorship elections with roving observers in 609 Local Government Areas to capture critical incidents.

“Yiaga Africa received 15 confirmed reports of vote buying across 8 states and one in Sarkin Mudu Polling Unit (016) in Giade LGA of Bauchi, PDP agents were sighted bribing accredited voters with N1,000, a wrapper and a pack of spaghetti.

“The voters hand over their ballot papers to party agents in exchange for the bribe.

‘’A similar report of the distribution of wrappers, N2,000 and a pack of spaghetti to voters was received from PU 006 Rangan Ward, Warji LGA of Bauchi,” he alleged.

Nwagu said that party agents for the APC and PDP reportedly distributed food, cash and alcoholic drinks to some voters in exchange for votes in Apir market square 1, Makurdi in Benue.

“A case of bribery was reported in PU O6, Ward 05, Isoko North, Delta State, where INEC officials received cash gift from the APC party agent in the polling unit,” he added.

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