A coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) under the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room (NCSSR) has raised concerns over widespread voter inducement in the September 21 governorship election in Edo State.
In a statement released on Saturday afternoon, the group reported that vote buying and selling occurred across numerous polling units, despite the heavy presence of security personnel.
“Situation Room observers reported widespread instances of blatant vote buying and selling across several polling units,” the group stated.
The report was co-signed by Yunusa Z. Ya’u, Mimidoo Achakpa, and Franklin Oloniju.
According to the Situation Room, the price of votes ranged between ₦5,000 and ₦10,000 per voter in several areas, including polling units PU08 and PU09 in Ward 2 of Owan-East Local Government Area (LGA), PU02 Ward 2 in Etsako-West LGA, and various polling units in Egor, Oredo, and Owan-West LGAs. The coalition also noted that, in some cases, voters were induced with food items such as bread.
The CSO acknowledged the arrest of two suspected vote traders at George Idah Primary School in Ward 2 of Oredo LGA, commending the efforts of law enforcement in curbing the malpractice.
Despite these challenges, the Situation Room praised the peaceful conduct of voters and encouraged them to remain calm throughout the election process.
The Situation Room comprises a wide range of CSOs, including Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), CLEEN Foundation, ActionAid Nigeria, Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD-West Africa), YIAGA Africa, and many others.
