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EU Observer Group: Votes Sold For N50,000 During Ekiti, Osun Polls

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The European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN) Election Observation Hub has said vote trading during the Ekiti and Osun states governorship elections was rampant, with voters rewarded heavily for selling their votes.

 

The Hub, established for election monitoring, is made up of the Kukah Centre (TKC), TAF Africa, Nigerian Women Trust Fund (NWTF), Yiaga Africa, International Press Centre (IPC) and Centre for Media and Society (CEMESO).

Speaking at the presentation and dissemination of the report on the Ekiti and Osun Off-cycle Elections (which took place in June and August, 2026, respectively) in Abuja on Tuesday, Prof. Bolade Eyinla, who read the findings of the Hub, said voters got up to N50,000 for selling their votes.

“The scourge of vote trading is becoming a pandemic,” he said, adding that, “if we don’t do anything about it, the sanctity of the vote and freedom of choice is beginning to come under severe threat and pressure.”

Prof. Eyinla lamented that vote trading has become extremely well organised and standardised, stressing that offenders remain unpunished.

“Maybe the IG (Inspector-General of Police) will tell us if they are arrested. And the result of that is that everybody has assumed a sense of impunity.

“The data shows us that 77% of the 84 verified incidents were vote trading, and party agents were the main actors in at least 90% of these cases.

“In Osun, it was 69%, and as I said, we still have not heard of any reported arrests, investigations, or prosecutions, given the magnitude of vote trading that went on in both elections.”

Describing how it was carried out, he said the voter marks the ballot paper to show his preference, but he then brings it up to show the people who are making the tally.

“And of course, once the agent confirms ‘he has done what we demanded’, payment follows.

“Originally, I was thinking payment was within the range of 10,000 or thereabouts, but the report from Osun even told me that people got N50,000. If you divide N50,000 by the number of voters in Osun, how much that will amount to in terms of the volume of money involved,” he said.

The Hub also called for the presentation of results from the ward level, noting that most of the irregularities are done at that level.

“I think for the presidential election, it’s 8,809 (wards). We want to see the results of the ward level uploaded. If you can upload polling units, then you should be able to upload ward-level results,” he argued.

However, the Hub commended the Independent Electoral Commission for organising a near-perfect election, noting that the election started early and the results were almost the same as those independently compiled.

It also commended the security agencies for ensuring a peaceful poll in Ekiti and Osun.

Dr Akin Akingbulu, the Executive Director, Centre for Media and Society (CEMESO), in his remarks, said the Hub deployed 598 observers across all 16 Local Government Areas in Ekiti on 20 June, and 823 observers across all 30 LGAs in Osun on 15 August.

“That is more than 1,400 trained Nigerians who watched, counted, verified and reported, polling unit by polling unit, so that the conversation we have today rests on facts and not on sentiment,” he said.

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Ondo Ponmo Sellers’ Association President Collapses In Court

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A business. woman, identified as the President of the Ponmo Sellers’ Association in Ondo State, reportedly collapsed in court during her arraignment in Akure on Tuesday following her arrest over the alleged discovery of human faeces at her ponmo processing centre.

 

The incident comes days after the Chairman of Akure South Local Government Area, Hon. Gbenga Fasua, ordered the immediate closure of a popular ponmo supply store on Igboliki Street in Akure following an environmental sanitation inspection that reportedly uncovered two buckets containing human faeces on the premises.

The discovery was made during the October edition of the monthly environmental sanitation exercise conducted on Saturday, when Fasua led a monitoring team through Oke Aro, Iro and Igboliki streets to assess residents’ and businesses’ compliance with environmental sanitation regulations.

According to information from the inspection, the ponmo business had reportedly operated in the area for more than 21 years.

The operator, who was present during the inspection, reportedly identified herself as the President of the Ponmo Sellers’ Association in Ondo State.

Following the discovery, Fasua ordered the immediate closure of the premises and directed the disposal of all ponmo products at the shop.

He also ordered that the operator be prosecuted in accordance with applicable local and state environmental laws.

The businesswoman was subsequently arrested and brought before a court in Akure on Tuesday for arraignment.

She reportedly collapsed during the court proceedings.

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2027: Tinubu Will Defeat Opposition On Achievements – Alausa

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The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, has expressed confidence that President Bola Tinubu will secure a second term in 2027, insisting that his administration’s achievements will earn him another mandate.

 

Alausa, who was recently appointed Director of Education Sector Mobilisation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council, also accused opposition parties of lacking clear policy alternatives for Nigerians.

He made the remarks while describing the opposition’s criticism of the Tinubu administration as driven by envy rather than constructive engagement.

“Whatever nonsense these people (opposition) are talking about is out of sheer envy. They can’t deliver, they have been tested, they have no clue of what to do for Nigerians,” Alausa said.

“This president is giving Nigerians tangible benefits. Let’s be objective, that is what we have said and I am very unapologetic about this, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will win his second term squarely based on his achievements.”

The minister argued that Tinubu had introduced changes across different sectors of the economy and deserved re-election based on his administration’s record.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has transformed every sector of this country and he deserves to be re-elected come January 16, 2027, based on his accomplishments,” he said.

Alausa urged Nigerians not to be swayed by opposition parties, accusing them of promoting division instead of presenting a clear programme for national development.

“And please, let’s not listen to the opposition parties, they don’t have any clear agenda for this country. They are just there to cause division amongst us,” he added.

Defending the administration’s record in education, Alausa cited its engagement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), saying the Federal Government had fulfilled its agreement with the union.

He also said the government was working to ensure that students completed four-year university programmes within the stipulated period.

The minister further pointed to the absence of an ASUU strike since Tinubu assumed office as evidence of improved relations between the Federal Government and university lecturers.

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Europe On Alert After Supermarket Freezers Hit By Cyber-Attacks In 10 Countries

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A spate of cyber-attacks that hit supermarket chains across at least 10 European countries on Monday has prompted European Union officials to warn of a deliberate attempt to disrupt the food supply chain.

 

Supermarkets have reported problems in Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Germany and Sweden, and the significant increase in freezer temperatures has forced retailers to discard food.

Temperatures in chains across Europe reportedly rose as high as 50C (122F).

No-one has yet admitted carrying out the cyber-attacks.

Supermarket chains said the temperatures of refrigerators and freezers in some of their shops soared as high as 50C
The European Union has raised concerns about the attacks, which come three weeks after a cyber-attack disrupted as many as 700 French grocery stores, causing food losses estimated at tens of millions of euros.

The security of refrigeration systems as well as other devices that can be monitored remotely has heightened concerns about government-backed hybrid attacks.

The EU’s food and agriculture commissioner, Christophe Hansen, said the bloc was taking the incidents very seriously and warned of further disruption in the future.

Commission spokesman Thomas Regnier was careful not to attribute blame, but said: “These incidents of course show once again how cyber-attacks can disrupt essential services and affect citizens’ daily lives.”

“These are not isolated incidents and of course we have to be collectively resilient and prepared for such cyber incidents.”

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