Aregbesola and Omisore
Politicians from political parties in Osun State are struggling to outdo one another in their bid to woo voters and ensure victory for their candidates in the governorship election coming up on August 9.
The leading political parties in the state are not limiting their campaign strategies to pasting posters and what they say at campaign rallies alone. Specifically, the Peoples Democratic Party and the ruling All Progressives Congress, for instance, have started distributing various items like rice, kerosene, noodles, salt, matches and other items to the electorate few days away from the D-Day.
Although both the PDP and the APC shared food items, especially rice, before the governorship election in Ekiti State on June 21, Ayo Fayose of the PDP eventually won with a landslide. The winner had suffered more criticism for allegedly buying voters with the large volume of rice he shared – a development that has been termed ‘stomach infrastructure.’ Observers had attributed Fayose’s victory to his ability to play politics of ‘stomach infrastructure’ better than the incumbent Governor, Kayode Fayemi.
It is the time of Osun and in order not to be caught unawares, the two parties – APC and PDP — are giving out items to their supporters ahead of the election.
SUNDAY PUNCH learnt that large volume of rice is offloaded at the PDP secretariat in Osogbo almost every day. The APC has, however, warned people against collecting the rice, describing it as expired and poisoned.
The allegation has not dissuaded some from queuing even in the rain to collect what they have considered to be their share of the inexhaustible national cake.
The APC, in a statement issued by its state Director of Publicity, Research and Strategy, Mr. Kunle Oyatomi, had alleged that the PDP collaborated with the Nigeria Customs Service warehouse in Ikeja, Lagos, where bags of the expired rice, which was seized from smugglers, were loaded and transported to Osun for distribution to induce voters. The APC spokesperson further alleged that the PDP had started to re-bag the expired rice to deceive the recipients.
The statement read, “The All Progressives Congress has warned Osun people that the PDP, in collaboration with the Nigerian Customs warehouse in Ikeja, have loaded trailers filled with thousands of bags of expired rice confiscated several months ago from smugglers.
“The expired bags of rice, which is poisonous, are being brought to Osun for distribution to voters. Competent sources from the Customs have also revealed that the consignment of the rice is unsuitable for human consumption. Osun citizens should therefore be warned that their lives are at risk from PDP poisoned rice.
“It is now clear then that what the PDP intended to do was to bring expired rice to repackage and distribute to Osun people. Osun people are not hungry and they will not sell their birth rights for stolen public money, which the PDP wants to distribute in towns and villages of Osun. Those who love their lives should be careful because the PDP will stop at nothing, including the distribution of poisoned rice, to win election.”
Reacting to the APC’s claims, the Chairman of the PDP in Osun State, Gani Olaoluwa, also accused the ruling party of distributing expired sachet milk and noodles. He stated that the party was not distributing items to its members to buy votes but to identify with them during the Ramadan period.
Olaoluwa said, “We distributed rice to the people of the state during the Ramadan season three years ago; we did the same two years ago and last year. Did they raise any allegation? They are doing that because of the election? We just want to advise our people to reject the expired sachet milk and noodles from the APC.”
To ensure that the PDP outshines the opposition in the provision of “stomach infrastructure” the Chairman, Organisation and Mobilisation Committee of the PDP in the South-West, Mr. Buruji Kashamu, last Sunday started the distribution of kerosene to residents of Osun.
Kashamu, who is the Chairman of Omoilu Foundation, said the group had distributed 66,000 litres of kerosene to residents of the state. He said this through the Managing Director of the foundation, Mr. Samson Onasile.
Onasile, who explained that the kerosene distribution was not aimed at inducing voters but to assist them, stated that Omo Ilu Foundation had registered 140,000 members in Osun, adding that many more were still rushing to obtain their membership forms.
“We are distributing 66,000 litres today; and before Tuesday, additional 66,000 would arrive for distribution. The keg for (with which to distribute) the kerosene is branded PDP, of course, as the chairman (of the forum) is a leader of the PDP and would work for the interest of the party.”
However, the Publicity Secretary of the PDP in Osun State, Bola Ajao, while speaking to SUNDAY PUNCH, said his party and its governorship candidate did not distribute commodities to the people to buy their votes.
According to him, all the people who were given certain items and commodities are supporters of the PDP and giving them such things, especially at festive periods, is a way of associating with them.
Ajao said the opposition party had been taking care of the people and would not stop doing so, even after the August poll. He alleged that the ruling APC had impoverished the people due to its anti-people policies, while things would be better if the PDP won the election.
He said, “PDP stomach care infrastructural development is not a matter of today; it was there yesterday, it is here today and it will be there tomorrow. The PDP and Omisore are always there for the masses in Osun State. The latest poisoned rice theory coming from Osun State PDP is not only a ruse but is wicked, malicious, unfounded and diversionary.
“PDP will not be deterred at any point in time to providing succour to the traumatised Osun citizenry no matter what they say or do.”
The item distribution approach to elections has, however, come under heavy criticism by the governorship candidate of the Labour Party, Fatai Akinbade, and the candidate of the Social Democratic Party, Mr. Segun Akinwusi.
The duo urged the Independent National Electoral Commission to sanction the APC and the PDP for violating the Electoral Law by inducing voters with items.
While Oyatomi admitted that the ruling party was distributing rice and other items when he spoke to SUNDAY PUNCH, he however said the items were to celebrate Ramadan with Muslims.
He claimed Governor Rauf Aregbesola had been doing so since he came into office. However, while he defended the action by the APC, he castigated the PDP for doing same.
Political pundits have described ‘stomach infrastructure’ theory as a trend in Nigerian politics, which must be stopped. According to them, politicians will not invest in ‘stomach infrastructure,’ if it will not translate to votes for them.
The political analysts believe politicians have seen the high level of poverty among the electorate and they are using the economic challenges of voters to their advantage. The analysts wondered why politicians thought the distribution of two kilograms of rice as well as few yards of fabrics, branded with the candidate’s portrait few days to an election, could sway the beneficiaries to vote for them.
Speaking to SUNDAY PUNCH, the Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, Federal Polytechnic, Ede, Osun State chapter, Mr. Adeyemi Komolafe, described ‘stomach infrastructure’ as an electoral fraud that should be stopped.
Komolade said, “This sharing of rice and kerosene to buy voters’ conscience is bad and should be stopped immediately. It is a system of exploiting the people and there is no guarantee that people will still vote according to their conscience after collecting the stuff.
“Many politicians believe they can just buy people with rice worth less than N1,000 to win elections. It does not provide for good governance. It is sure that those doling out rice now are investing and they will rip off the people when they get into power.
“The youths are jobless and very poor and politicians are distributing rice; we are postponing the evil day. Boko Haram did not just start in a day, massive unemployment occasioned by bad governance was one of the factors responsible for it.”
The Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association, Ilesa branch, Mr. Olayinka Sokoya, however, said giving out rice and other materials could not sway people to vote for the candidate they did not want.
Sokoya though stated that the practice of giving out items to residents ahead of elections did not violate the Electoral Law.
He said, “The distribution of rice and kerosene cannot sway the mind of the people to vote for anybody who they don’t want. Our people are wiser now and I believe that no reasonable person will mortgage their future for a morsel of bread. I don’t see that dictating the way our people will vote this time around. It may be a plus but the difference can’t be much.”
“It is not a violation of the law because they are giving the people to encourage them to vote. It is not an inducement. You can share rice and anything and still lose; it has happened before.”
The Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Olusegun Agbaje, at a forum organised for religious leaders, had warned that anybody caught inducing voters would be dealt with according to the provision of the law.
Agbaje said, “Anybody who gives out money to voters to vote for or refrain from voting for a candidate is liable on conviction to a fine of N1m or 12 months imprisonment or both.”
He urged the people of the state to think deeply and vote for candidates of their choice, as their future would be affected by the choices they made.
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