INEC Election Ballot Box

The Oyo State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mr Mutiu Agboke, on Thursday said 10 persons had been arrested and undergoing prosecution over allegation of vote-buying in the just concluded Ekiti State governorship election.

Agboke disclosed this on Thursday in Ibadan during a sensitization campaign on the ongoing collection of Permanent Voter Card (PVC) and update on the 2019 election.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the programme was organised by Yoruba Women for Peace Foundation (YOWOPEF), in conjunction with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Oyo State.

The Oyo State REC said that INEC was committed to no-vote-buying and using money to cajole people for vote and various measures had been put in place to reduce the issue to the barest minimum.

He assured the electorate that vote-buying experienced in Ekiti State would not happen in Osun governorship election, adding election would be cancelled any where there was ballot box snatching.

Agboke called on political parties not to discriminate against women by giving them opportunity to contest for any political position of their choice, including position of president.

He also urged political parties to reduce the fees for form to give women who were interested to contest any political offices.

Agboke said that women in Oyo State had the highest participation in the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR), compared to men in the state.

He urged political parties not to use women as servant and give them position due to them in line with INEC policy.

Earlier, Founder of YOWOPEF, Mrs Fadeke Komolafe, urged women to collect their Permanent Voter Cards and vote for credible candidates that would improve the Nigeria’s future.

Komolafe called on electorate not to sell their votes.