Political thugs destroy ballot boxes in Edo State allegedly won by Labour Party candidates
By NewsBits
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) arrested nine vote-buying agents in Osun, Ondo, Borno, Akwa Ibom and Sokoto States during the presidential and national assembly elections, which held nationwide on Saturday.
Reports reaching our newsroom have it that the elections in parts of Lagos State, Edo State, Port Harcourt and so on were marred by series of irregularities, which include vote buying, disenfranchised voters, refusal to upload the result by officials of the supposed umpire – the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), thuggery and so on.
ICPC’s spokesperson, Mrs. Azuka Ogugua, disclosed this in a statement in Abujan Abuja on Saturday night. She said four suspects were arrested in Osun, two in Sokoto, and one each in Ondo, Akwa Ibom, and Borno states.
The statement reads: “The four-vote buyers arrested in Osun State are Adewale Teslim, 32 years; Yemi Adebiyi, 42 years; Shake Idris, 36 years, and Emiola Joseph Oluwole, 69 years. The suspects, who are in Osun State Office custody, were found with documents containing lists of names, phone numbers and account details of voters during the election in the State.
“Operatives of the Commission retrieved a list of names and phone numbers of voters from Adewale Teslim at Polling Unit 07, Ward 07, Ile Aganna in Olorunda Local Government Area of Osun State.
“The officers also recovered a list of people who had voted with their phone numbers and account details from Yemi Adebiyi at Polling Unit 06, Ward 04 at Ikirun Junction, Ikirun while Shake Idris was arrested at Polling Unit 6, Ward 10, Ofatedo area of Osun State with a notebook containing over 100 names and account numbers.
“The anti-corruption agency also recovered a notebook containing a list of voters’ names and account details from Mrs. Afolabi Adijat at Ward 5, Polling Unit 04 of Ansar-ud-deen Mosque area of Olorunda Local Government. The agency’s officers, however, couldn’t arrest Mrs. Afolabi Adijat due to the volatility of the area and insufficient armed personnel.
“The Ondo State Office of the ICPC arrested one Mrs. Idowu-Yemi Omolere at Polling Unit 12, Ward 12 behind Dada Estate Police State in connection with the distribution of recharge cards to voters. The ICPC personnel recovered 24 pieces of N500 recharge cards, a list of voters and their phone numbers as well as a techno phone.
“The Borno State Office of the ICPC arrested one Garba Bahausa at the Bulunkutu Ward in possession of four PVCs and the sum of Forty-Nine Thousand Naira (N49, 000). The suspect distributed the money, food items and 20 wrappers.
“In the course of his interrogation, Bahausa confessed that the money was given to him by a lawmaker to distribute to voters. The Akwa Ibom State Office of the ICPC arrested a woman, Mrs. Idara Umoren, for collating the names and account details of voters suspected to have voted for her preferred candidate.
“Umoren was arrested at the Signature Hotel Polling Unit on Plot 48G Line, Ewet Housing Estate, Akwa Ibom. In Sokoto State, ICPC operatives arrested two persons – Hassan Muhammad and Nafisa Sani – for vote buying at the Rabah Local Government Area of Sokoto.
“Hassan Muhammad was caught in possession of signed tickets which were given to voters that voted for his party. The ticket enabled the voters to be given women wrappers and bags of rice. Nafisa Sani was intercepted while giving wrappers to voters at a polling unit in Rabah Local Government Area of Sokoto.”
The statement quoted the commission’s chairman, Prof Bolaji Owasanoye as commending his officers for diligently monitoring the polls across the federation, thereby curtailing vote buying by some representatives of political parties. He directed the state offices to carry out a detailed investigation of all those arrested for acts of corruption during the election.
