Osun 2018: Rights Group Raises Alarm On Vote Buying

Human Rights Group, Justice Now Foundation (JNF) has raised the alarm on how some of its members were enticed by a political party with a view to inducing them with money with a view to buying their votes, saying its group has traced the call a leading opposition party in Osun state.

In a statement issued by the Executive Director of the group, Comrade Waheed Lawal, some of the group members who had received calls were asked to drop their account details and their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) serial number in order to be credited with the sum of N10,000 par card.

Lawal said that those who were saddled with the task of buying votes were using different social platforms among which was WhatsApp with airtel line 08120569530, where voters were asked to release their information in exchange for money.

The group then charged the intelligence agency and other security outfits to step up their game and stem the ugly trend of vote buying, saying the leading opposition party had shown desperation with the action and it would be regrettable if the vote buying through digital platform is not curbed.

Lawal asserted that his group was watching the trend as it unfolds and would not be partial in its investigation of the criminal act of vote buying before, during and after the Osun governorship election.

He reiterated: “We are watching trend in all political parties, both the ruling and the opposition with aim of revealing any clandestine move. As it stands now, we have evidence on how one of the leading opposition parties was sharing WhatsApp link with a view to enticing voters and we shall forward our findings to the security agencies.”