It’s going to be cash for votes in Edo guber polls as major parties in the state mobilise cash to induce voters on Saturday.

It was gathered that the parties had started amassing “war chests” in a desperate bid to compromise voters.

A highly credible source said the Edo poll could set a new record for vote-buying in the history of elections in the country.

“A vote could go as high as between N15,000 and N20,000. There are plans by agents of some of the parties to mop up voter cards. How they intend to use the cards is what nobody knows. This is why the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission are being deployed for the election,” the source added.

Another source confirmed plans by the parties for what he called “heavy vote-buying”.

“I can confirm to you that the parties are ready to do whatever it takes to win this election and that includes paying as high as N20,000 for a vote.

“Unfortunately, doling out of gift items during campaigns has become entrenched in our political system with voters themselves mortgaging their votes for a ‘pot of pottage’. The voters are all partners in crime and what they fail to understand is that collecting gift items and cash from candidates and political parties makes them vulnerable.

“They will not have the moral justification to question the government if it fails in its responsibility to provide developmental projects in the state. After all, they (the electorate) have been paid upfront.

“Unless the Independent National Electoral Commission and security agencies work together to ensure that citizens are discouraged from selling their votes, this might be an election where the buying of votes becomes an all-time high,” the source added.

Another source urged INEC and security agencies to monitor the activities of parties and their agents on election day.

He said, “I have spoken to some members of two of the leading parties and they said that they are preparing to bring out cash to induce voters. So INEC and security agencies should be ready to combat this.”

is why they have not campaigned on issues but have instead relied on federal might.

“In contrast, the PDP is ready for this election and any future elections because we have done our homework and the people are with us. We also have the most credible candidate, and the incumbent Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has achieved a lot, which will swing votes to the PDP.

“The APC has demonstrated a significant propensity for violence and has even recruited some members of the Nigeria Police Force into their scheme. We also know they are planning to engage in heavy vote buying, which will be resisted.”

The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, also said the APC had shown signs it was not committed to a free, fair, and credible election.

He said, “Since it became evident that the PDP candidate, Asue Ighodalo, is heading towards decisive victory, the APC and its candidate, Monday Okpebholo, have become desperate, resorting to violence and intimidation to undermine the will of Edo State voters. Reports indicate that the APC has set up a torture squad to abduct innocent Edo residents and take them to undisclosed locations.

This use of violence and intimidation reveals that the APC and its ineffective candidate are intimidated by Dr Asue Ighodalo’s growing popularity in Edo State.”

Ologunagba also claimed that the APC was importing thugs from Imo State to assist in an election manipulation scheme.

He noted that residents were prepared to use every lawful means to confront and resist attempts to disrupt the governorship election.

But the APC dismissed the allegations, insisting that Governor Obaseki was plotting to rig the September 21 governorship election.

The National Publicity Director of the party, Bala Ibrahim, said, “The PDP has made a name in rigging. But because their rigging mechanism has been uncovered and defeated, everything about them falls around rigging. Now that they can not unleash their rigging tactics, they have refused to sign the Peace Accord.

“They have seen that the people are ready to protect their votes and won’t allow rigging; this is why they are making noise all over the place about arrest, rigging, vote-buying and others. This is even a sign that the PDP has lost grip and the real meaning and intent of democracy.”

Ibrahim denied that the APC had plans to buy votes, adding that the party lacked the means.

Also, the Publicity Secretary of the APC in Edo State, Peter Uwadiae, said his party had no reason to engage in vote-buying.

He said, “We are not in the business of buying votes and we don’t have any reason to do such. We are not paying for votes. Buying of votes is an electoral offence and we cannot be seen to be committing an offence when we are planning to win the election.

“The only party that will buy votes is the one that feels it has not been accepted and this is a wrong step to be taken by any political party that means well for the Edo people.

“We are a decent party, we have done so well in our campaign and the people have shown that we are accepted and are ready to demonstrate that on election day.”

The Labour Party Public Relations Officer, Sam Uruopa, distanced his party from vote-buying, saying only the APC and PDP were known for such.

He said, “The APC and the PDP are the ones involved in vote-buying if what you heard is correct. That has been their practice, they also rig elections and are involved in other electoral malpractices. We are urging INEC and the security agencies to watch officials of these political parties closely, especially during the election.

“For the LP, we are not vote buyers and the people are with us. However, we are scared about this age-long practice they have been known for, that they have used to cripple this country and used to bastardise the electoral system.”

The Deputy Director General, Media, Asue/Ogie Campaign Management Council, Olu Martin, said parties that did not have popular candidates engaged in the practice.

He said, “I can’t speak for other parties but it is not unusual in a democracy to see people trying to induce voters, especially for parties who don’t have popular candidates.

“For us in the PDP, our fellowship is organic, our candidate is known, our manifesto is clear, we have endeared ourselves to the people. We even have people who are donating to us and ready to mobilise people to go out and vote. They are even ready to give us money to run the campaign. If you buy votes, you now become like a social contractor hoping to recoup what you have spent. It is the people that will suffer.”

EFCC, INEC warn parties

The spokesman for EFCC, Dele Oyewale, said vote buying is an economic crime and the commission would not tolerate it.

“We will not allow any kind of criminality in any form,” he stated.

“The same spirit and focus that we have been using to fight all other crimes, will be deployed be the commission to fight criminality including vote-buying.”

The Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, said the electoral body had asked security agencies to go after vote buyers.

“Therefore, it will be a big mistake for any political party to think that its members can engage in vote-buying on election day because law enforcement agents will move against them. I would strongly advise anyone thinking of doing it to have a rethink. Apart from the fact that vote-buying is an electoral offence, it will also go against the spirit and letter of the Peace Accord that the political parties and their candidates signed only on Thursday here in Benin City,” he added.

Obaseki raises the alarm

Meanwhile, the Edo State Governor Obaseki, has alleged that INEC is working in cahoots with the APC to postpone the governorship poll on the eve of the election.

A statement on Friday said the governor spoke while addressing members and leaders of the state chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress.

Obaseki, who had earlier refused to sign the peace agreement, noted that the country’s democracy was at risk.

He said, “They plan to postpone the election on the eve of the election to destabilise us. But whenever they postpone the election, we will win the election. It will be a long fight but we know it’s a struggle.”

“APC has not offered us an alternative. They have not campaigned on any meaningful thing we can hold them onto. They don’t have any credible candidate but all they boast of is federal might. They say they will write the results and we can go to court. We will not go to court because they can’t write the results. If they write the results, they will meet the consequences.”

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

President Bola Tinubu is expected to arrive Abuja on Sunday, after an official visit to China and his short stay in the United Kingdom, the Presidency said on Saturday night.

Tinubu departed Abuja on August 29, for Beijing on an official visit, making a brief layover in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

While in China, the Nigerian leader and his host, Chinese President Xi Jinping, entered several Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on behalf of their countries.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Tinubu called for the sustenance of the momentum of cooperation and the need for peaceful dialogue, transparent business practices, and diplomatic conflict resolution in deepening the bond between Africa and China.

The President also charged world leaders to embrace multilateralism and reject protectionism as essential steps towards achieving lasting peace, security, and stability.

Tinubu departed the Asia country for the United Kingdom on September 6, after he met with representatives of the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation in China (NIDO China) and the Nigerian community at the China World Hotel.

While in London, President Tinubu, on Wednesday, met with King Charles III at Buckingham Palace, where both leaders discussed global and regional matters of shared priority, focusing on the urgent and complex challenge of climate change.

President Tinubu and His Majesty also explored opportunities for collaboration in anticipation of the upcoming COP 29 Summit in Azerbaijan and the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa.

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

No fewer than 40 persons were said to have lost their lives on Saturday in a boat mishap in Gummi town, the headquarters of Gummi Local Government Area of Zamfara State.

The Director of Emergency at the Zamfara State Emergency Management Agency (ZEMA), Hassan Dauran, told newsmen that the boat was carrying about 50 passengers when the tragic accident occurred.

He said that only few of them were rescued alive at that moment, while the majority of the passengers, mostly women and children could not make it alive.

An eye witness account said the deceased persons were going to their farms in the early hours of Saturday when the boat capsized and sank into the river.

The eyewitness said there were 53 farmers including children in the boat and only 12 were rescued alive including the captain of the boat and the remaining 41 were dead.

The Emir of Gummi, Justice Hassan Lawal (retired), has commiserated with the families of those who have lost their lives in the incident.

He described the incident as very tragic and prayed Allah to forgive all those who have lost their lives and give their families the fortitude to bear the loss.

The latest incident adds to the ugly trend of boat accidents which has claimed so many lives across Nigeria in recent times.

Just two days ago, two persons reportedly drowned in a boat mishap in the Ipoki Local Government Area of Ogun State.

Similarly, on August 8, five persons died in a canoe accident in Taura Local Government Area of Jigawa State.

The incident happened when the canoe carrying twenty passengers capsized while crossing the Gamoda River near Nahuce village.

Also on July 8, one person reportedly died while 18 persons were rescued in tragic boat accident that occurred on the Kwalgai River in Auyo Local Government Area of Jigawa State

Not to be forgotten is the boat mishap that claimed the life of Nollywood star, Junior Pope Odonwodo in April on his way out of a film location. Other crew member also lost their lives in the accident that threw the Nigerian entertainment industry into mourning.