Vote Buying: PDP Agent Accuses Security Agents Of Compromising Kaduna By-Election

An agent of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kaduna State, Yusuf Abubakar, has alleged compromise by security agents in the ongoing by-election in the state.

In an interview with Channels Television on Saturday at Polling Unit 009 in Barnawa, Kaduna South Local Government Area, Abubakar expressed his dismay over the prevalence of vote buying in the region.

He alleged the involvement of certain security agents in facilitating and supporting the act of vote buying during the ongoing rerun and bye-elections.

“If you go around, you will see how people are trading on voters. If you go around, you will see it. It is just open, not hidden,” the PDP agent alleged.

When asked if political agents buy votes in front of security agents, Abubakar said: “Yes, even some of the security agents are being compromised. That is all I could say.”

Abubakar, however, was uncertain about whether the INEC officials were aware of the issue.

He also expressed concern that the voters might be influenced to vote instead of being given the freedom to exercise their right to vote.

He said: “I can’t say because they are there doing their exercise. I can’t say whether they are aware or not. But we as the political parties and political agents, we know. This exercise is going on.

“I am bothered because people are not willing to vote for their own choice rather than to be given money before they vote.”

Saturday By And Rerun Polls

Naija News reports that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is currently conducting by and re-run elections in 80 Local Government Areas (LGAs) across 26 states of the federation.

A total of 4,613,291 Nigerians who have collected their Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) are expected to participate in this exercise.

These elections are being held to replace members who have either passed away or resigned from their positions in the national and state assemblies. Additionally, there will be rerun elections at designated constituencies or polling units (PUs) as directed by the election appeal tribunals.

According to the Chairman of INEC, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, these elections will fill vacancies in at least three senatorial districts, 17 federal constituencies, and 28 state constituencies.

They will be spread across 80 local government areas, 575 registration areas/wards, and 8,934 polling units. In total, there are 4,904,627 registered voters, out of which 4,613,291 PVCs have already been collected.

The states where these elections will take place include Ebonyi, Yobe, Kebbi, Lagos, Ondo, Taraba, Benue, Borno, Kaduna, Plateau, Akwa Ibom, and Anambra. Additionally, the elections will be held in Cross River, Delta, Enugu, Jigawa, Katsina, Adamawa, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Kano, Nasarawa, Niger, Oyo, Sokoto, and Zamfara.