Meanwhile, It has been revealed that political parties in Ekiti state are doing all within their power to win the election as they have reportedly given bribes to voters.
Many voters received cash and other gifts from politicians yesterday to vote for particular candidates in today’s election.
Some beneficiaries of the largesse, who spoke to The Nations Newspaper on condition of anonymity, said they got the sum of N4,000 each.
The Nation Newspaper correspondents, who were at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) office where newsmen were being accredited, noticed that people were streaming in and out of the Old Governor’s Office in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.
Those seen going in and out of the premises were mostly youths as well as middle-aged men and women.
While some ran into the premises apparently to get there before the sharing ended, others walked briskly towards an inner building.
A woman was overheard raining curses on some people she claimed collected money twice.
She wondered why some would collect twice while others were yet to collect once.
“A vehicle will kill all of those that collected twice!” she cursed in a feat of anger.
Reminded by The Nation Correspondent that as a mother she ought not to curse people, she retorted: “The cheating is too much. Some people have not collected while some have collected twice. It is not fair.”
When our correspondent sought to know who was sharing the money, she said: “I am not a radio. Leave me alone. I am annoyed.”
She then walked away.
Several people were seen trying to gain access to the gated inner building within the premises.
Those that were coming out of the building were heard telling those outside that they must be sure of the wards they were registered to vote.
Someone was overheard saying that a permanent voter card (PVC) was required to receive the cash.
Some of the voters were seen grumbling that they could not locate their names on the list.
Those whose names were not in the list were asked to go to different locations where the money for their wards was being shared.
A young man who was coming out of the premises was asked if he had collected his own money.
He was initially reluctant to respond. But when our correspondent spoke to him in Ekiti language, he opened up.
He said his name was not found in the ward list, and that he was directed to another ward.
Asked how much was being given out, he said as he hurriedly left: “Some get N2,000, others get N4,000.”
A woman was seen telling her friend that without her voter’s card, she would not be given the money.
A group of four women were seen talking animatedly. Three of them had succeeded in collecting their cash, but the fourth woman could not collect hers because she did not go there with her PVC.
The sharing of the bribe at Government House Ado Ekiti as seen by a secret camera
Consoling her, the other women said: “After all, you collected rice yesterday. At least you got something.”
More people soon gathered at the entrance, banging on the gate. They accused those that were giving out the money inside the building of planning to pocket whatever was left.
Some shouted: “Ole! Ole! (thief! thief!”)
A female security guard opened the gate soon after and everyone trooped into the compound, pushing and shoving. The gate was shut again as more people gathered.
A middle-aged bearded man, apparently a party leader, warned those who had collected theirs and were leaving not to allow any “APC member” near the place.
Looking around as if to identify “APC members” outside the premises, he shouted: “Don’t allow any APC member near here! If any APC member comes near here, I will break his head!”
Empty packs of F1100 Power Torch Fero Mobile phones littered the scene and around the Old Governor’s Office. It was not immediately clear if the phones were earlier shared to would be voters.
The Ekiti governorship election is seen a two-horse race between the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate Dr Kayode Fayemi and his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) counterpart Prof. Kolapo Olusola-Eleka.
Accreditation and voting have since commenced. May the best candidate win. More photos...
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