A pro-democracy group in Ibadan has called on the people of Ibadan North Federal Constituency to categorically reject what it described as vote-buying tactics ahead of the bye-election.
The group, through its leader, cautioned against any form of inducement and any attempt to undermine the electorate’s power with palliatives, particularly food items like rice, spaghetti, and similar goods, that some politicians might plan to distribute across the 12 wards of the council area through their agents.
In a statement made available to the press by the group’s spokesperson, Hon. Monsuru Adeyemo (Socrates), the group alleged that one political party and some individuals are in “panic mode” ahead of the election and have resorted to distributing items believed to have been stored for months in unhygienic conditions to curry undue favour from the people of the federal constituency and Oyo State at large.
“Dear good people of Ibadan North Federal Constituency and our enlightened voters! We urge you to reject any form of inducement and the political party that is extending the hand. As we all know, some alleged palliatives kept for months, if not years, are about to be rolled out. We wonder why they kept them unnecessarily for years and now decided to share them. At least, if they are going to do such, the rice, as alleged, should be screened to confirm its ‘eatability’ status. We are particular about the well-being of the people of Ibadan North and the sustainability of our true democracy.”
The group further stated “It is crystal clear that some political parties think everybody is buyable. They have irresponsibly reduced our esteemed constituents and highly respected voters to crumb-seekers. This is ridiculous, and we must collectively fight it.
“This is not only unhealthy for the body but also dangerous to the health of our democratic process. It undermines the values of our electorate and our democratization. The people deserve honest governance, not tactics that attempt to buy votes and impose an incompetent representative on our district.
“Every reality is observable and measurable. This desperation signals weakness from the alleged party reportedly engaging in such acts. Their hurried distribution of these items reveals fear over their party’s assumed impending electoral defeat.”
The group urged, “Our good people of Ibadan North Federal Constituency, let’s stand against manipulation. Let’s reject these items. Let’s empower ourselves and our constituency. Let’s collectively wage war against manipulation and demand a future built on transparency and accountability.”
While calling for free, fair, and credible elections, the group added that “Instead of induced rice and other items, we advocate for sustainable solutions and progressive representation that genuinely support our citizens, not temporary fixes that harm our health, devalue our people, and retard the progress of our constituency.”
