Yiaga Africa, Election Monitoring Group has alleged inducement of eligible voters, involving distribution of cash, presents and food items to entice voters throughout the pre-election campaigns, ahead of Saturday September 21st Edo State governorship poll.
The citizen-led Election Movement under the Watching The Vote (WTV) Working, laid the alleged inducement that characterizes the governorship campaigns/rallies
at the doorstep of political parties and politicians contending for the election.
This is contained in Pre election Observation statement by Yiaga Africa read by its Director of Programmes Cynthia Mbamalu a Media briefing on Friday in Benin City, Edo State.
She expressed concerns that activities of skilled political merchants that tend to undermines political freedom and democratic advancement in Nigeria.
Mbamalu who relied on a recent survey, said, “Yiaga ‘Africa’s LTOs’ witnessed and documented political parties and politicians distributing cash, presents and food items to entice voters throughout the pre-election campaign, lamented that, “election mandates are becoming less credible”.
She said, “These incidents were primarily noticed or heard about in the Uselu market, Egor Local government Area, where market women women received monetary gifts ranging from N1,000 to N2,000 from All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) parties during their campaign tours.
“Similarly, PDP campaigners gave wrappers to women who joined the campaign gathering in the Amiebonkhian Community in Esan South East Local Government Area.
“In the Ubiaja Community of Esan South East Local government Area, PDP campaigners also gave several store owners shirts, caps, umbrellas, and as much as N2,000”, according to Mbamalu.
In addition, the Director of the Organization, gave a clear direction and recommended incubation of ideas that are driven solely by ideology in tackling the nuance associated undemocratic forces.
Yiaga Africa also tasked the Media Civil society Organizations, CSOs, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Nigeria Police assigned to election duty and stakeholders in particular to support advocacy against voter apathy, electoral violence and others.
The group further sued for the promotion of progressive values that could help to improve the quality of lives for public interest, and canvassed the creation of access to citizens with special needs/Persons Living with Disability as a call to action ahead of the poll.
Mbamalu insisted that, “silence is gives room people to create their own narratives. For us (Yiaga Africa), we want a peaceful conduct and a transparent process that would make the decision of voters truly count”, Mbamalu said.
TheNewspad reports that participants during the interactive session, queried the neutrality of some Stakeholders in the election, including the State leadership of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and National Union of Road Transport Workers led by a well-known political actor, which could be a recipe for operational disaster in election materials distribution.
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