IN several polling units in Bayelsa, party members were spotted providing voters with refreshments and naira notes during the governorship election held on Saturday, November 11.
In polling unit 02 Ward 6, Sampur Community, Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area (LGA), voters were spotted with plates of food while waiting to cast votes.
The ICIR also observed that party agents followed voters to the voting booth, monitoring as they cast ballots.
In the Sagbama Compound Square, polling unit 11, Ward 10, The ICIR observed party agents share bottles of soft drinks with voters waiting to vote.
Voters were heard discussing payments offered by party agents in their polling unit.
“They were giving N6,000. It is N8,000 now. I will wait till it is N10,000, then I will go and vote,” The ICIR overheard a voter saying.
At the Amadikurumor Compound square, polling Unit 014, a female voter handed some naira notes to four young men.
“Have you voted? Who did you vote for?” she asked as she handed them the money.
She would later be identified as a stakeholder of one of the major political parties.
“I gave all these students N1,000 apart from the N8,000 we gave them. So in all, we paid N9,000,” she said, discussing with other voters.
Ijeoma Opara is a journalist with The ICIR. Reach her via [email protected] or @ije_le on Twitter.
