Ene Obi, a former convener of Situation Room, has given her assessment of the recently concluded governorship election in Ekiti State. She commended the large turnout of voters and condemned the growing trend of vote buying by politicians, News.ng reports.
Obi, who appeared on Arise Television on Monday morning, noted that there were reported cases of violence at polling units (PUs).
said, “SomeCommenting on the widespread vote buying during the election, the observer called on the EFCC to be more efficient in making arrests.
She said: “Some of the things that we look out for is the early polls, early opening of polls. We look at, you know, logistics movements.
“We also look at, you know, inclusivity, you know, of the populace in terms of their accessibility of persons with disabilities, and then we look at the transparency of the process and also issues of buying and the BVAS, you know, performance of the BVAS. It was widely, you know, widely covered. I want to appreciate the media for their work always because you could see certain things really happening and live coverage of those incidences.
“In terms of violence, there were about 16 cases of a report which were confirmed violence at the polling units. Early opening of the polls, you know, we look at the timing, and it was the average timing was about 7.30. Massive turnout, you know, in terms of the turnout of the population early in the morning by 6.30. A number of people, many people, were on the queues already. Vote buying was widespread, one could say, and it’s very, very disturbing that the issues of vote buying, you know, you see going on.
“The EFCC had just opened their office in the Kitty. We were also hoping, though they were in some of the polling units and some people were arrested, but not massively. I think we need more work with the EFCC in terms of having a hotline where you can, we from the civil society can always call those hotlines for arrest because they try to be descriptive, you know. I think the politicians are getting smarter by the day on how they organise.”
According to the election advocate, the political class has used poverty as a weapon, leaving people with little choice but to be financially induced to vote for whichever political party offers them money.
“But for the by-elections, what we have noticed is vote buying and also pressure of the voter is still going on. One of the things I want to pull out is that weaponization of the poverty of Nigeria; the poverty in Nigeria to try to be throwing bread to people or trying to be distributing rice is still ongoing and is very, very sad.
“And going on to the 2027 election, you know, it’s very sad how, you know, the politicians have put Nigerians so cheap in their faces while they are looting their treasuries; you know, it’s very, very sad what they’re doing to Nigerians. But of course, poverty is on ground. We know that there is poverty, and that is because of the irresponsibility of the political class,” she added.
Watch the clip:
Ekiti Election: Weaponisation Of Poverty In Nigeria Is Still Ongoing And Very Sad — Obi
Throwing of bread and distributing of rice to the people is still ongoing and very sad. We know that there is poverty and that is because of the irresponsibility of the political class.
