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From Oluseye Ojo, Osogbo
Vote-buying has surfaced in the ongoing governorship election in Osun State, taking scientific methods, different from those noticed during the gubernatorial poll in Ekiti State last month.
Investigation by this reporter revealed that the new scientific methods have been adopted by political parties to win votes, away from the prying eyes of the security agencies, especially the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The new techniques were noticed in some polling units along Aregbe-Olaiya axis of the Ogo Oluwa-Abere Road of Osogbo, including a polling unit, very close to the new flyover constructed by the administration of Governor Gboyega Oyetola at Olaiya area of Osogbo.
The new methods include assigning somebody to stay at a place close to the voting stand and monitor voters. Once it is confirmed that a vote-seller has voted for a preferred party of the vote-buyers, he or she would be directed to a nearby place to write his or her name. Then, a tally would be given to the person. Thereafter, the tally would be used to collect money for doing the biddings of the vote-buyers.
The persons that have the cash with them would stay in a corner and some men have been assigned to loiter carefully around the place to prevent intruders. The name writers recruited for the purpose are mostly young ladies.
It was observed that the perpetrators of vote-buying and vote-selling were very discreet about it to the extent that without investigative instincts, it would look as if nothing of such was happening.
