There was turnout of voters in most of the polling units in Yabo local government area of Sokoto State during the rerun election of Yabo/Shagari House of Representatives.
In some of the polling units visited by TRIBUNE ONLINE, it was gathered that excessive vote-buying of voters was reported in most of the polling units visited by our correspondents in the state.
Recalled that the court of appeal in its ruling had ordered a re-run election in one Federal Constituency of Yabo/Shagari federal house of representatives and two state assemblies of Bodinga North as well as Tambuwal West respectively.
Information gathered by our correspondent revealed that the two leading political parties in the state, the All Progressive Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party paid each voter between 20,000 and 35,000 naira.
One of the voters, Abubakar Ibrahim, who spoke with our correspondent said he was offered the sum of N20,000 by an agent while another agent offered him a sum of 30,000 naira.
“I was offered sum of N20,000 by one party agent while another person promised me 10,000 before I voted and to receive an additional N20,000 after voting to make sum of N30,000.
“I am still taking my time to know who to vote for depending on how much they can offer me” he added.
Also at Gidan Masha in Lambara ward of Shagari local government area of the state, massive vote buying was reportedly happening as each voters was offering between N25,000 and N35,000 depending on their bargaining power.
Another source who spoke with our correspondent on condition of anonymity confirmed that in another polling units, apart from the cash being offering voters, some of the party even offered us water pumping machine in exchange for their votes.
“Some of our people were given a water pumping machine in exchange for their votes. You know this is a village and most voters here are farmers, so they in exchange for the votes also gave out water pumping machines in some of the polling units”
One of the voter from Tambuwal local government who spoke with our correspondent however commends security agents for their display of professionalism while discharging their duties during the exercise.
Abubakar Aliyu, a voter from Kajiji town, Tambuwal local government who spoke with our correspondent said the exercise was conducted in a peaceful atmosphere, saying the security agents displayed act of pure professionalism during the process.
“I love the way the security agents displayed their profession in almost all the polling units here in the state.
“Our hope is that they will do the needful till the end of the exercise so that the real winner of the election will be announced and not to disrupt the exercise ” he added.