Osinbajo Doing Advance Vote Buying, Southern, Middle Belt Leaders Allege

Segun James

The Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF) Thursday accused the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo of being the mastermind of a vote-buying scheme to influence Nigerians to vote for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2019 general elections.

They alleged that the “Tradermoni Scheme” in which the federal government “dole out cash to would-be voters is a vote influencing and vote buying strategy of the government.

The SMBLF in a communiqué issued after its meeting and signed by Mr. Yinka Odumakin, South West; Prof. Chigozie Ogbu, South-east; Senator Bassey Henshaw, South-South and Dr. Isuwa Dogo, Middle Belt, expressed utter disappointment in Osinbajo for his continued corruption of the electorates in a funny scheme named “Tradermoni.”

“We noted his odious outing with this corrupt act shortly before the Osun State governorship election when he went to dole out cash to would -be voters and distributing forms in which beneficiaries were asked to fill in their PVC details and phone number.

“A few days back he took the perverse scheme to Lagos accompanied by the Governor of Lagos and the APC governorship candidate in Lagos State, an act that totally betrayed the political manipulation of the polity with pecuniary tools.

“It is rather unfortunate that a Professor and Senior Advocate of Nigeria is not ashamed to be doing this open ‘see and buy’ ahead of elections while he continues to preach virtues when convenient.”

They demanded the immediate suspension of this scheme in the manner the Vice President is going about it “as it shames the whole anti-corruption campaign of the administration. It is pure bribery of voters!”

The SMBLF also condemned what it called terror in the residence of Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, even as it condemned the irresponsible response of the Police to the terror visited on the home of Ekweramandu.

The leaders accused the police of not responding to distress calls or visit the scene of crime several hours after the attackers struck.

“We were shocked to see police spokesman concluding the incident was a burglary attack within a few hours of little or no investigation in the order the current IGP dismissed the arsonist attack that claimed the lives of Kano REC and his family in 2015 as mere accident shortly after visiting the scene of crime.

“With the invasion of the Senate by security operatives and the sealing of Ekweremadu’s home the day Senate President beat police cordon, the police are making inquiring minds to wonder if this was not a state terror. We strongly advise the police to stop behaving like a partisan outfit and embrace professionalism in handling matters like this.

We demand a thorough investigation of the incident,” the leaders said.

On the spate of violence across the country, SMBLF said the trend was disturbing.

“We are worried by the Killings in Kaduna, Plateau States, the Shiites in Abuja, as well as kidnappings in Delta State and other parts of the country. We are not shy to say that the government has failed in its primary responsibility of securing the lives and property of citizens. A government that cannot rise up to the challenge of securing the polity is not fit to be in office,” the communiqué concluded.