Ondo Decides 2024: “How PDP, APC Bought Votes for N3000, N10000,” Report

• The Centre for Democracy and Development West Africa (CDD-West Africa) has alleged that there was massive vote-buying during the Ondo governorship election held on Saturday, November 16
• CDD-West Africa confirmed that the PDP and the APC induced voters with N5,000 and 10,000 while "policemen reportedly frowned that about 10 of them were given N100,000"
• Prof. Victor Adetula, Lead of CDD-EAC Observation Mission Ondo 2024, shared further details regarding the report made available to the press

Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements.

The Centre for Democracy and Development West Africa (CDD-West Africa), through its Election Analysis Centre (CDD-EAC), has shared its observation concerning the Ondo state governorship election held on Saturday, November 16, 2024.

CDD disclosed that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) bought votes from the electorates for as low as N3000 and N5000, respectively, during the exercise.

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Prof. Victor Adetula, Lead of CDD-EAC Observation Mission Ondo 2024, and Dr. Dauda Garuba, Director of CDD-West Africa, revealed this in CDD’s EAC preliminary statement, Daily Trust reported.

Ms. Oluseyi Awojulugbe, a member of the CDD-EAC, presented the statement on the conduct of the 2024 Ondo state governorship election.

The report also said that the election recorded lower incidents of disinformation and information manipulation, also referred to as fake new compared to the recently concluded off-cycle September 21 governorship election in Edo State.

“CDD-EAC notes a lot of instances of vote buying. In Okitipupa LGA, Ward 09, Unit 003 (Irowa, Ilutitun 3), voters were solicited for their votes, with APC allegedly offering ₦10,000 per voter and PDP ₦3,000. In Odigbo LGA, Ward 01, Unit 001 (Oja Baale, Agbabu), reports of vote-buying were noted, with APC allegedly offering ₦10,000 and PDP ₦5,000 per voter.

“Our observers also noted that some party agents started transferring money to voters to circumvent having to hold cash. In Ese-Odo, Ward 07, Unit 013 (Tari Ama Zion Ugo Community, Arogbo Ward 2), vote-buying was observed at this polling unit, with PDP offering ₦3,000 and APC offering ₦5,000 to voters.

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Ondo election: Winner to emerge soon as INEC uploads 99% results to IREV portal, details emerge

“In Ward 005, PU 001, St Barnabas Primary School, Ifon, CDD-EAC observers saw policemen arguing over money shared by a party stalwart. The policemen reportedly frowned that about 10 of them were given N100,000 while only one official from another branch of the armed services allegedly got N15,000,” the report said.

Read more about Ondo election here:

• Ondo guber: INEC uploads 20.42% of results to IREV portal
• Mimiko loses his cool as he warns against manipulation of Ondo gov election
• Ondo election 2024: DSS arrests vote buyer with bags of cash

Vote-buying: EFCC operatives storm polling units in Ondo

In a similar development, Legit.ng reported that EFCC officials were spotted at some polling units as vote buying reportedly resurfaced in the ongoing Ondo state gubernatorial election.

Operatives of the anti-graft agency landed in Akure, Ondo state capital, on Saturday, November 16.

This followed reports that several polling units were reportedly engaged in alleged voter inducements during the ongoing election.

Source: Legit.ng