Four days to the governorship election in Ondo State, political parties in the state are perfecting a variety of plans to emerge victorious.

The plans include stockpiling funds in homes for vote buying, major parties finalising merger deals with smaller parties to boost the number of their votes at the election, and parties and candidates wooing gatekeepers with huge sums of money to mobilize as many as possible electorate to their sides.

Multiple sources disclosed that at least N20,000 had been earmarked for each voter on election day, with politicians and parties willing to up the amount to get votes, especially in areas where they deem themselves unpopular.

One of the sources said, “This governorship election is going to be money for money as the politicians have devised means to bombard the polling areas where they perceived to be unpopular, with money, to woo the voters.

“They have planned to pay as much as N20,000 per vote. They planned not to take the cash to the polling units for fear of security agencies and EFCC but when they see the person’s thumbprints, his account details would be collected and the money transferred to him.”

Another source confirmed some of the parties had allegedly set aside certain huge amounts of money to woo the voters. He said they reportedly planned to buy votes for between N5,000 and N20,000, depending on their areas of popularity.

“Many parties rely on the money they would spend to buy votes on Election Day. They plan to spend N5,000 or N10,000 in the areas where they are popular and N15,000 to N20,000 where they are not. So, in some areas, money would determine who wins the poll,” the source noted.

The PUNCH gathered that, in the past few days, politicians from different political parties have continued to storm banks to withdraw as much cash as possible.

Several bank customers, who desired to withdraw cash from the counter, were given less than they requested, with the excuse that there was limited cash available to go around.

Earlier, an NGO, Yiaga Africa, in its pre-election assessment report made available at the Peace Accord meeting with INEC and National Peace Committee recently in Akure, alleged that political parties and candidates had resorted to inducing voters with cash gifts and food items to secure their support ahead of the governorship election.

Yiaga also alleged that leaders of a party distributed fertilisers, rice, cassava, and maize to community leaders tasked with distributing these items within their areas of influence.

The group said, “Political parties and candidates have resorted to inducing voters with cash gifts and food items to secure their support in preparation for Election Day. Yiaga Africa Long Term Observers observed cases of voter inducement during campaign activities in Akure South, Ese-Odo, Ifedore, Irele, Ondo East, Ose and Owo Local Government Areas.”

Last minute alliance

As part of moves ahead of the election, multiple sources confirmed to our correspondents on Monday that about eight political parties would align with the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party.

The alignment would see the leadership of the aligning parties mandate their supporters to vote for either the candidate of the APC or PDP.

The deals to join the two bigger parties were struck at the weekend, with announcements for support for either the PDP or APC candidates to be made within the next 72 hours.

He said, “About eight of the smaller parties want to ally with the bigger parties. These parties’ alliances want to make money from the proposed alliance.

“Many of them have been talking with the leadership of the APC and the PDP and some of the agreements were sealed last weekend and before Friday all of them would announce where they belong.”

Another source said, “It is clear that some candidates of some parties would step down for either Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa (APC candidate) or Agboola Ajayi of the PDP any moment from now because those concerned have concluded the arrangement over the weekend. But the terms of their agreement is what I can’t say for now but there is going to be a merger before Friday.”

Also confirming the development, a source within the APC said about five of the governorship candidates would discontinue the political journey with their former parties and join the ruling party.

“About five of them (the candidates) will join us before Election Day, they want to collapse their structures with that of Aiyedatiwa and we are very happy about the development, as you know, politics is about numbers. “There is one of the deputy governorship candidates who is very much with us. His mind is not with his candidate again; he has been discussing with the leadership of the APC for a long time, and he too will join us on Wednesday.

“His candidate too is talking with us at a separate level. Don’t be surprised if he too joins us. All of them will be unveiled at the mega rally on Wednesday. All other parties have been talking to us except the PDP,” he stated.

The source, however, could not confirm the financial agreement reached before the deal was sealed.

When contacted the Director of Media and Publicity of the APC, Mr Steve Otaloro, said the defectors would be unveiled before the Saturday election.

Otaloro stated, “It is true, some smaller parties are talking to us, we are expecting them hopefully before the day of the election, they are going to join us and it is their entire structure they are bringing in.”

A chieftain of the PDP in the state on condition of anonymity faulted the move by the smaller parties, saying the move was all about monetary gains on the part of those who want to merge with the big parties.

“Some of them (smaller parties), as they are talking to us, they are talking to APC; they are using us to bargain, they are asking us, how much do we want to give us?  So is a matter of the highest bidder between the APC and us. Those guys are not serious, they also prefer it to be in secret. They are still going on with negotiations with us,” the chieftain stated.

Publicity Secretary of the Ondo PDP, Mr Kennedy Peretei also confirmed the planned alliance, adding that the arrangement had been on for quite some time.

He, however, failed to confirm when the merging parties will make the declaration.

“We have been on it for quite some time now but for now, I cannot give you the date it would take place,” the PDP spokesman stated.

No fewer than 17 political parties will participate in the forthcoming election.

The parties cleared for the election, as released by INEC, include the ruling All Progressives Congress, Peoples Democratic Party, Accord Party, Action Alliance, African Action Congress, African Democratic Congress, African Democratic Party and All Progressives Grand Alliance.

Others are the Allied Peoples Movement, Action Peoples Party, Labour Party, New Nigeria Peoples Party, National Rescue Movement, Peoples Redemption Party, Social Democratic Party, Youth Party, Young Progressives Party and the Zenith Labour Party.

Sensitive materials

Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission has confirmed that it would, on Thursday, deploy sensitive materials to the 18 Local Government Areas of the State.

A top official in the commission who spoke on the condition of anonymity disclosed this to The PUNCH, on Monday.

The sensitive materials, including ballot papers, Bimodal Voter Accreditation Systems, and result sheets, arrived in Akure, the state capital, on Monday.

They were transported by the Nigerian Air Force and were received by officials from the Central Bank of Nigeria.

In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), INEC stated on Monday, “Sensitive materials for the Ondo State Governorship election, scheduled for Saturday 16th November 2024 have arrived in Akure, the State capital, and received by officials of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

“The materials were conveyed to Akure by the Nigeria Airforce. #OndoDecides2024,” the post read.

According to the INEC official, the materials will undergo thorough checks on Wednesday, November 13, and will be moved to the 18 LGA on Thursday, November 14.

“On Wednesday, the sensitive materials would be checked. On Thursday, it would be moved to LGAs,” he said.

Obi on vote-buying

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 presidential election, Peter Obi, has called on the people of Ondo State to shun vote-trading in Saturday’s election.

Speaking at the governorship campaign rally of the LP held in Akure, the state capital, on Monday, Obi claimed that stolen money was being used to buy votes, and should be resisted by Nigerians.

Obi stressed that it was the Nigerian democracy that suffered the consequences of transactional politics.

He said, “We are here for the campaign of the gubernatorial election coming up on Saturday. We know democracy is suffering in Nigeria; we know they’ve turned democracy into transitional politics, but we still insist that we continue to campaign and tell Nigerians that this is time to start building a new Nigeria.

“A Nigeria where a child of nobody is somebody, a Nigeria where there will be equal opportunity, a Nigeria where we put people out of poverty, a Nigeria where our children will be in school, where our hospitals will work.

“We don’t want people to give us money that they’ve stolen from us, and thereafter, they continue to steal more. We want to stop the stealing and start the rebuilding; we want to stop the destroying and start the rebuilding; we want to move this country from consumption to production so we can create jobs. That’s why we are here campaigning.

“Ondo electorate should shun vote buying and selling because it’s money that they’ve stolen that they are using to buy them. We must resist them.”

Addressing the party supporters, the LP governorship candidate, Mr Sola Ebiseni, described LP as the only party that can transform the state, calling on the people to vote for the party.

“Labour Party is the most popular political party in Ondo State. This is a party that the people of Ondo State voted for twice and was in power in this state between 2009 and 2017.

“Our programmess and policies and even projects are everywhere, and you know it. Everywhere you go in Ondo State, all the projects you see are in the colour of the dress I am wearing.

“I am deliberately wearing the orange colour, which is the colour of the Labour Party and the colour you will see in every project. Our presidential candidate is here to give support and to let Nigerians know that the Labour Party is the party to vote for.” Ebiseni boasted.

Obasanjo visits Aiyedatiwa

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Monday visited the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, wishing him all the best.

Sharing his political experience, at the Presidential Lodge of the Ondo State Government House, Obasanjo described the campaign period as a crucial time.

He said, “I understand the challenges of this period for you. I remember my campaign for the 1999 election; I covered the entire six states of the South West in one day. I think we started in Akure, Ondo State here, then to Ekiti and we got to Lagos around 8pm. This is a crucial part of the process and I wish you all the best.”

Responding, Governor Aiyedatiwa expressed gratitude to the ex-President for the visit, saying he acknowledged Obasanjo’s “indelible” contributions to the development of Nigeria.