By Abimbola Ogunnaike
President Muhammadu Buhari, on Saturday, 18 March, 2023 said his administration had been preaching against vote-buying and monetisation of politics, and called on politicians to desist from such acts.
“If they (politicians) still give you money, collect but vote for your preferred candidates,” Buhari said.
President Buhari, who voted at polling unit 003, Sarkin Yara A in Daura, Katsina State, called on the electorate to vote for their preferred candidates, even if politicians tried to offer them money.
The president-elect, Bola Tinubu and his opponents, candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, called on voters to exercise their rights after voting in Saturday’s governorship and state assembly elections.
Also, former President Goodluck Jonathan, who voted at his polling unit in Otuoke, Bayelsa State, called on security agencies to arrest thugs suppressing voters in parts of the country.
Also, shortly after voting, Tinubu, who was accompanied by his wife, Oluremi and a Lagos market leader, Folashade Ojo, took to his Twitter handle to call on Nigerians to come out and vote.
He tweeted, “I just joined other Nigerians in exercising my civic duty in the ongoing governorship and state assembly elections. I encourage you all to go out and vote peacefully.”
Atiku Abubakar, who voted in his polling unit in Jada, Adamawa State, bemoaned the low voter turnout in the state, which he blamed on the “below expectation” performance of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
On the transmission of results from the BVAS, he said he was not hopeful as he hadn’t seen anything to suggest that INEC improved on their last showing during the February 25 presidential election.
Obi, who voted in his Amatutu polling unit in Agulu hometown around 11:20am, took to his Twitter handle to encourage voters to come out and vote.
“About 11:20am, I exercised my franchise by casting my vote in my polling unit. My dear wife, Margaret, also voted. I encourage every registered Nigerian to go out and vote,” he said. Da
