Two members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State, including its chairman, Abayomi Tella, and two officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), have been arrested in Iperu in possession of huge sums of cash allegedly meant for vote buying in the Remo Federal Constituency election.
The suspects, who were said to have been arrested in the early hours of Saturday, are reported to have provided very useful information to the police regarding their respective roles in the grand plan to bribe election officials and rig the by-election.
The arrests, which were made on Saturday at a hotel in Iperu-Remo, Ikenne Local Government Area, came after intelligence revealed that the INEC staff had been given a “huge amount of money” by party officials to influence the election.
A “viral video” shows the arrested INEC officials, a man and a woman, alongside some alleged PDP officers, being questioned by security agents
In a swift reaction, the Ogun PDP claimed Tella was arrested in his hotel in what appears to be a calculated attempt to weaken the opposition.
The PDP alleged that the move was to pave the way for the All Progressives Congress (APC) to manipulate the election in the ruling party’s favour.
Meanwhile, Ogun State governor, Dapo Abiodun, has cast his vote in his Osanyin Ward Three, Unit 002 in Iperu, in the by-election for Remo Federal Constituency.
Speaking shortly after exercising his franchise, Governor Abiodun expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the process and commended INEC for its level of preparedness.
The governor also lauded the impressive turnout of voters at his polling unit, describing it as a sign that citizens are willing and ready to act.
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