Clement Adeyi, Osogbo
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused politicians of plans to induce prospective electorates with money to buy their votes in the forthcoming governorship election in Osun State.
The party made the allegation, on Wednesday, in Osogbo, the state capital, in a statement by its Director of Publicity, Research and Strategy, Kunle Oyatomi.
In the statement, the party called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies to be alert, thwart the intent and bring any culprit to book according to the dictates of the law.
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“This must be a red signal for security agencies and the Independent National Electoral Commission,” the party said.
Oyatomi said the alarm being raised by the party was against the backdrop of a privileged information, insinuations and rumours which should not be taken for granted.
“The rumour mill is awash with conflicting reports as to how much each voter will be induced with. This is a serious situation that should not be taken lightly,” the party said.
“There are recent allegations across the country of brazen use of money by politicians to disgracefully influence the electoral process and must not be allowed to happen in Osun.
“It is high time this criminal activity was stopped by law-enforcement agencies and INEC.
“We cannot continue this way because it is a disgrace to this country in the international community and it further puts our fledgling democracy at a grave risk.
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“INEC and the law-enforcement agencies have a serious work to do in Osun to put desperate politicians on notice that this crime will not be allowed to continue.
“But of greater urgency is for politicians in the country to realise that they are the ones practically responsible for corrupting the electoral process, thus endangering the democracy that we fought so hard to re-establish in 1999.”
The APC also called on the people of the state to reject the reproach and insult involved in mortgaging their future for a mere pittance that would be dangled before them by politicians to buy their votes during the poll.
“The citizens should reject the insult of being treated by politicians like disposable commodities that can be bought for peanuts.
“You are far greater and much better than being lured by revelling but extraordinarily rich politician, (who, by the way, is least qualified), dangling N10,000 or N5,000 to sell your birthright and refuse to vote for a qualified and best suited governor of the state” the APC said.
“By the way, how much is 10,000 naira worth in four years – it is just about seven naira a day. Can you imagine the insult that a politician thinks your worth is N7 a day?
“If that politician was really out to serve, he wouldn’t need to buy your vote. But because he is rather into politics to profit from it, he would bribe you with peanuts in order to have access to the treasury of the state,” the APC said.
“Whatever happens, the people of Osun should be exceedingly thoughtful about who they will eventually vote for, otherwise and God forbids, a vulture will steal their legacy.”
