BY YUSUF BABALOLA, Lagos
Two yet to be identified party agents of the People Democratic Party (PDP), have been arrested by officers of the Nigeria Police for alleged vote buying at the polling unit of the Speaker of Ogun State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Olakunle Oluomo.
The two persons who were arrested at Ward 3 unit 19, 20 and 24, ifo constituency 1, Ifo, Ifo Local government area of Ogun state were also arrested for being in possession of identities cards belonging to three different political parties.
Speaking to LEADERSHIP, Oluomo, accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), of being behind the act of vote buying in his polling unit.
According to him, some PDP agents were also apprehended at Agabdo, Ifo Local government, on Friday, for vote buying as well.
“That is what the PDP has been doing in Ifo since yesterday. If you listen to the news, you will see that some persons were caught in Agbdado and now they are doing same here.
“The two that were arrested today, they are in possession of different cards of political parties. They have agent cards of Social Democratic Party (SDP), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party (LP). Agent cards of three parties with one person carrying it around and collecting the number on Voters’ Permanent Voters Card (PVC) and transferring money to them openly.”
The speaker, however, commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), over the functionality of the Bimodal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS), machine in the constituency.
According to him, the process has been seamless in the 153 polling unit in the Ifo 1 constituency.
“Well, as far as we are concerned, the process has been very much okay and we will follow it to the end to see that proper counting of the ballot papers are done then the result sheet written and appended to by the agent and uploaded to the server.”
“The BVAs is working perfectly well now as far as this polling unit is concerned and being a contestant, have not received any information from outside the polling unit that BVAS is not working because we have 153 polling units in my constituency and I have not received any information that BVAS is malfunctioning.
“Unlike last election where there are report of BVAS not functioning optimally or not working at all but I think there are some improvement.”
He stated that the APC will the house of assembly and gubernatorial election in the state, saying voters turnout is massive and impressive.
“Surely, I believe the outcome will favour APC and all you can say is that it will reflect the will of the people. I can assure you that voting will show the will of the people
In this polling unit, it’s constant that they come out to vote though i may not say what’s happening in other unit but as far as we are concerned here, no voters aparty in this ward because we can all see that we are all advanced here. This is where I grew up.”
He, however, appealed to the residents of the state to vote for the APC so that they can continue to render the dividend of democracy to the people.”
“My appeal to people of Ogun state is to support the APC government so that the party will continue to render dividend of democracy to the people,” he said.
