Amid reports of widespread vote buying in the Osun state governorship election, the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), has confirmed that irregularities actually took place during the election.
CJID which is an NGO that set up the Election Analysis Centre to monitor the general conduct of the Osun State gubernatorial elections noted that vote-buying was recorded at some polling units during the ongoing election.
The CJID disclosed this on Saturday in its Mid-day situation report, noting that the Independent National Electoral Commission was prompt in deploying officials and materials to polling units across the state.
“However, the early arrival of INEC officials and election materials did not translate to the timely opening of polling units. At mid-day, only 40% of the Polling Units (PUs) observed started on time, while 58.9% of the PUs opened late.
“Our observers reported the deployment of BVAS tools to all polling units observed. However, there were reported incidences of limited BVAS and non-functionality at some polling units observed,” it said.
“Some of these incidences were reported in PU 013 Ward 10 Egbedore LGA, PU 006 Ward 04, Iwo LGA, PU 002 Ward 07, and Oke Adan LGA, just to name a few.
“Incidences of vote trading were reported in PU 010, Ward 03, Ife East, PU 01, Ward 04, and Iwo LGA as party agents were seen taking down the names of voters who had agreed to sell their votes for a particular amount. Similarly, more cases of voter trading were reported in PU 02, Ward 06, Iwokan LGA, PU 003, Ward 03, Ife South LGA, and PU 003, Ward 07, and Ife North LGA as voters were openly offering to sell their votes.”