#OsunDecides2022: Vote buying, threats of violence, others mar exercise

Election observer group, Yiaga Africa, has recognized circumstances of vote shopping for, intimidation of voters and malfunctioning of BVAS in some polling models within the Saturday’s Osun State governorship election.

It made the observations in its preliminary report on the election holding throughout the 30 native authorities areas of the state.

The 2 dominant political events – the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Get together (PDP) – together with 13 different political events fielded candidates for the election.

In some polling models, it stated, brokers of the PDP and APC have been seen inducing voters with money starting from N2,000 to N5,000.

In PU 009, Akinlalu Industrial Grammar College, Ward 01 in Ife North, Yiaga noticed that get together brokers strategically positioned themselves by the voting cubicle to see how voters marked their ballots. Whereas in PU 003 Opp. Olomu Mosque in Osogbo, PDP brokers have been seen handing out between N2000 and N5000 to induce voters.

Additionally, in Disu Polling Unit 003, ward 7 in Orolu LGA, APC brokers have been seen distributing N4,000 to voters who voted for the get together whereas PDP get together brokers have been seen distributing N2000 to induce voters.

Yiaga additionally queried some voters who have been seen displaying how they marked their poll papers to APC brokers earlier than dropping them within the poll containers – compromising the secrecy of the method. This occurred in Ward 11, Unit 3, Palace City Corridor, Boripe.

In the identical Native Authorities, Yiaga noticed that thugs related to the APC, threatened to stab any voter who didn’t vote for the APC however the voters nevertheless insisted on casting their votes for the candidate of their selection. Yiaga Africa additionally acquired a report from Ogbagba Village, Ward 11, Pu 013 of a thug/cultist affiliated with the PDP coming to disrupt the method.

ALSO READ: Osun: Safety, vote shopping for our main issues – INEC

Though Yiaga noticed the deployment of two BVAS gadgets per polling unit in about 23 per cent of polling models throughout the state, there are stories of situations the place the system didn’t work in some polling models – thereby delaying the voting course of.

And almost about the deployment of polling officers, 93 per cent of polling models had greater than three polling officers current, and 61 per cent had a minimum of two feminine polling unit officers current.

Suggestions

Yiaga has, subsequently, referred to as on INEC to increase the voting time and deploy extra BVAS machines to polling models with a excessive variety of registered voters above the edge of 750 and polling models with late graduation of accreditation and voting.

It additionally urged INEC to uphold the secrecy of the poll by guaranteeing voting cubicles and poll containers are located to ensure the secrecy of the poll whereas the umpire audits the newly created polling models and guarantee equitable distribution of voters to the polling unit.

“In circumstances the place voters have been allotted to new polling models, INEC ought to replace the voter data on its web site and talk the adjustments to stop voter disenfranchisement.”

Safety companies have been admonished to impose applicable sanctions for any type of violation of the Electoral Act on election day, particularly any risk to the suitable to vote or makes an attempt to purchase votes.

The train is underway and in some polling models, voting has ended as votes are being sorted and counted.

Many have tagged the ballot a two-horse race between the incumbent, Gboyega Oyetola of the APC and Ademola Adeleke of the PDP.