Osun election: ICPC arrests suspected vote buyers

The operatives of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on election monitoring duties have arrested three persons suspected of vote buying in the just concluded Osun State gubernatorial election. 

The Council noted that at Ife North & Central Local Government Councils, Osun East Senatorial District, “precisely at Polling Unit 7, Iremo Ward IV, one Dapo Olayode (M) was arrested by one of the Commission’s teams. Olayode was arrested with a list containing the names of voters while an Android phone was also collected from him”.

Also at Egbedore Local Government, Osun West Senatorial District, “precisely in Polling Unit 003, Ward 10, Osunbukola Junction, Kamorudeen Nafisat (F) and Ojuade Musbau  Olaniyi (M) were arrested by another team for alleged vote buying. Items collected from the duo included one Android Phone and a notebook containing a list of names of voters”.

The Council said in a press statement made available to News Express on Saturday, July16, “A third team was attacked by a popular thug and his gang while attempting to effect the arrest of a vote buyer. The attack was at Polling Unit 1, Ward 7, opposite Polaris Bank, in front of Oba’s Palace, Esa-Oke, Ibokun Local Government Area.

“The vote buyer was caught with a list containing names of 100 persons expecting to be paid N5000 each”. 

In the statement signed by the spokesperson of the ICPC, Mrs Azuka Ogugua, “The team leader sustained serious injury in the fracas that ensued, but the team was able to retrieve the book containing the list of 100 voters”.

It added, “The statements of all the suspects are being taken under caution, and investigations are still ongoing”.