 Electro-fraud allegations continue in Akiti state after the elections and you're a traitor or an easy and a very fairytales or a coward. Well this is cross-qualitics, I'm Mary-Anna Cohn. As the first elections to be held in the wake of some key reforms introduced following the passing of the electoral act of 2022 into law, last Saturday's governorship election in Akiti state was another important milestone in many respects and made its vote buying reports trailing the Akiti state governorship election. The all-progressive Congress led state governments have been accused of masterminding the arrest and abduction of key members of the party hours before the governorship election. Now also some weeks before the election the candidates of the Action People's Party APP Prince Adeinka Ali revealed that the party is poised to win the elections to change the fortunes of the state in the interest of the youth and women. Well tonight we'll be discussing with the humanitarian candidate of the APP and his stance on the electoral fraud in Akiti state. It's good to have you join us. Thank you very much for having me. So you're not the first who's been making these allegations of fraud as a result of the elections that held over the weekend last week. But yesterday I spoke with a representative of the SDP and he continued to harp on the fact that the APC and the PDP were involved in vote buying but the case is different from other political parties but paint us a picture of what you experienced on Saturday that has made you conclude that there was a electoral fraud. Oh God of course. I directly was involved in this as a gubernatorial candidate myself and you know the scenario started early in the morning when youngsters in my community in Takwa came to me and they were asking if naturally I would want to buy votes and that came to me like a root shock like why will I want to buy votes and why is this even coming directly from my own community. Where is that coming from and they had to advise that there is money already available everywhere, 10,000, 7,000 and 3,000 and in that regard somebody is asking me to come and buy votes and I tell them I will not do that. I have a youth, I said a long way to go if I have come down because of the campaign I was called over for negotiations and I said no I would not step down for whatever reason. I have a youth I believe in what we can do. I've seen other manifestos and I see that none of them is coming close so for whatever reason I will not step down and I will not even merge with any party. So for young guys to be coming over and telling me if I'm not ready to buy votes then I should be ready to stand with whatever result. At that point I was disabilised sort of like if my immediate community would be saying this then what do I expect in other places. So I delayed the lead too and I watched the time, I didn't go early, I waited around 10 there about before going to the polling booth. When I got to the polling unit, of course they gave me the preference to come vote until I can leave immediately. I said no, I would rather stay in the queue, I stayed in the queue, I saw some of those again, they were uncomfortable, they were moving left, right and centre, everybody destabilised, see me who died there in the queue and I stood there and before you do it they just, somebody just damaged like man he's not giving us money. So I thought they started the trade and I was there watching. So you're telling me that you saw money's exchange hands while you were queuing to cast your vote? Okay, well maybe the physical money was not displayed but you see the negotiation and the wait's done. This one they call it see and buy. What does that mean? Okay, originally it has to be they call it dibu ko sebe that is vote and get a pot of soup, that's the original but this particular one they call it see and buy, see and buy is you know you vote and you will have a way of displaying it for the agent to see. They will see that you're actually printed on their ballot space. But INEC has had to simply say that that would not happen at the polling unit so there was no enforcement of that rule by INEC? Well, you know we gave INEC a lot of credit for this election because there is serious improvement but then you know I see some lapses, the booths, the polling booths now that is used here. Maybe originally the advice one was supposed to be somewhat hidden where they drop it is supposed to be a bit hidden though, hidden but still open but in these regards now it's still very open that they can still show people. They show people and you know it's like there's a kind of connivance. You see police saying cover it cover it cover it even while police is saying covering it you know that is not enough to say you can't stand that particular person's vote but then it's like everybody knows about this thing they display it and you see the way the thing moves. There's a way some they have tally they call it tally they give them tally and you know it moves hands okay this person has done it and he goes and he goes and he goes see when he starts seeing them giving money. I saw when they give money you know but it's not going to be the very first person they move move about the third fourth person to give money. I was there watching I stood there for over one hour and I saw this this whole thing happening and then I was like let me let me let me let me let me let me talk about other issues aside from this vote buying is very important but the ADC governorship candidate yesterday I also put that question to the STP representative had accused not just the APC and the PDP but also the STP of engaging in vote buying not just at the state level but at local levels and then she mentioned something that really really stood out for me. She said despite the number of events that were put together and talks on voter education whether it be on the media whether it be in marketplaces we still saw that level of vote buying and election fraud so it makes me really wonder if all of you the government gubernatorial candidates did your job and if the AKT people are really tired of bad governance and because if you are tired of something that's bad you'd obviously walk against it but we're seeing that it's a reputation of what's always been so should we be blaming INEC or shouldn't we be blaming you and of course the electorate. Wait I need to say this prior to the main election you see the kind of continents you see the kind of boldness in me that I was definitely going to win that election and that is because what is the structure of the APP in AKT states what's your rich what's your coverage how were you going to win this election the election as opposed to an incumbent APC a former governor and of course you do have the People's Democratic Party who has also held that office so did you really stand a chance? Okay like I said in the main sense of it people are tired of this particular government so that is a serious head for us they are tired ask one or two persons on the street they will tell you they are seriously tired of them okay now coming in as a youth I have beautiful programs I was able to sell it to people a lot of people saw what I was coming and the bottom they love it I went around the old local government and I spoke to people we did a lot of orientation reorientation about not selling votes and not buying votes and what we stand to benefit what they stand to benefit if the elected youth that can actually bring about the total transformation strategically in the United States and you see that a lot of people as we are enthusiastic about it and we wanted printing early of why didn't they vote for you or any other person without taking the monies as you have accused them of vote buying or rather inducements during the selection that is you are so certain why are we seeing people still cowering back to the government that you refer to that is one that they do not want anymore that is where the problem is that is where the problem is that is why this election should be cancelled they've made people vote against their wish because you sorry they was at gunpoint when you say they made people vote against their wish this is it if you if I have and I'm not in any way making a case for a kitty people but I'm saying if I do not want something no matter what you give to me I'm not going to take it but if I am induced at the slightest thing then maybe I'm okay you're comfortable with that thing I'm not speaking for a kitty people but I'm just wondering I because all the pointers this you're the second person who's talking about the same not naturally you can talk like that you're comfortable you need to go to a kitty don't make you think I'm comfortable off you're looking beautiful like this go to a kitty there is hunger in the land even the farming they can even go to farm again there is serious hunger in the land now is it deliberate for the government to starve people and still want to induce them buy them over with their common words now is it deliberate okay fine maybe before now before now we can say people buy vote they buy votes maybe a day before the election and they see that during because of the election people can see quiet and vote their own choices well in this regard they call it see and buy money was brought to a election ground and this is serious is a serious one if this is not checked if this is not checked then it's to say to the world that Nigeria is actually on sales talking about things being stopped EFCC approaches were reported to have arrested a PDP member for inducing you know voters apparently the this was in Olau Lua Muslim secondary school in Adrekity during the elections in itself reports had it that the party chifting was arrested with a large sum of money so there's some credit there going to the EFCC there was also a report about an NSCDC official who was alleged to have also involved in some electoral malpractice even though the NSCDC has come out to rebuff that and say that that's not a true report and that their personal would not be engaged in this but other than that do you what do you think needs to be done to tighten security around the polling units because a lot of us would have looked at the Akiti elections as a litmus test for what should come for Austrian states and of course the general elections next year but can we really say that there's anything to look forward to if we're seeing a repetition again like I said of electoral malpractices I would still want to say that the best way to check this the best way to check this is to cancel this particular election and have your own because as it stands now a lot of billions have gone into this Akiti is for do you have proof that billions have gone into this if this were to be taken to a court because of course you have to take a competent court of jurisdiction to you have to make a case that beyond reasonable doubt that this elections have to be cancelled do you have enough proof to fight this in court and get the the electoral commission to revisit this election you are in the media you know what I'm talking about go online a lot of evidence is out there a lot of evidence is out there these evidences that are out there be admissible in court that's another thing where some people are actually arrested and it's enough I'm saying ask every other person that partook in this election I am a living witness it happened it just that okay fine I need to be a law abiding person by keeping my phone I was supposed to be recording I saw what was happening it happened with you before my home very high I saw this happening and ask every other candidate too they will tell you their own different expenses in some other quarters you have it that evil security operatives are the one giving signs anytime a security operative look to the side it means that person didn't vote for them meaning they won't have to pay anytime at another time if it nudges oh then it means okay that person actually voted for them so look at others we can't see this is free and fair election no it is not it is not I make truly of course we know I miss they have just they have evolved over the period and with what they have done this is only thing that is mine that they are their improvement and if it is not checked now you know the best thing to do is cancel this election I have a rerun now they have spent a lot of money there I know how they will get like it don't have much money and they have spent over five billion era for this so now if there's gonna be a rerun then let them go and source for money let's and tighten up everybody will be on look out they can't be if they want to buy votes let them buy a day before not right there at the at the ground you're encouraging for buying but not on the day of the election no I'm saying that I'm saying that of course people know that okay fine you want to bring money to them bring money to them they will take the money and they will still vote their conscience of course that one you can't you can't you can't you can't accuse anybody of not voting for you but this one they call it see and buy are we pricing sweets or pepper something is actually wrong and if it is not checked now then what do we expect in 2023 this must be checked and it must even be cancelled because if you wait until when we start going to tribuna then it will soon I would have this one in the best bet is cancelled let's have a rerun and then this we cannot check this you want to give money give money a day before this are the kind of education we have given to people we have actually talked about it we have told the lot of people I told them market people the youth that actually want us to be look at I had 1,980 votes across the local government these are people that stood their ground like they will not take one Naira from anybody they expect that they've seen the program that we have they see that this is going to bring serious transformation of victory state they saw the program having gave the lot of people even youth what we shall be doing I will even want to take care of the retirees but then why are they keeping them in perpetual poverty just to buy their votes now let's talk about the cancellation that you're asking for if there be a cancellation if there were to be a cancellation if it comes down to it how certain are you that you would win oh definitely I I'm not winning this election I'm so confident that if this election is to be tried I'm sure that every candidate is very confident that they will win but there has to be one and there has to be a loser so what what is on ground that guarantees that winning I'm a grassroot person I'm a grassroot person and I've gone round and with the kind of movement that we've got we spoke to people they understood this whole thing and you know if I said okay you have clear 1,980 people that that's to their ground meaning 10,000 and I don't matter to them these are people that they saw it but others that are hungry didn't need to just bend and take this money and even if they had even got the money maybe a day before I will still I will still say that I would have still won the election but you brought the money to election grand and say see and buy it's very ridiculous for a country like Nigeria giant of Africa making a culture of herself out there no no no this is not acceptable it's not acceptable let us go back and let these be a level playing ground I'm I'm I'm forced to ask this question because it's one thing to say oh let's cancel the elections let's have a rerun I've had I've spoken to so many people over the years who would say to you who have great intentions to run for office and when they when you have a talk with them they say well you can't talk to an ordinary electorate without some form of gifting they would say to you well we hear your ideas they're amazing we need something give us something so I'm wondering is this because this is where we are as a people this has eaten dip into the fabrics of our personality as a country or is it that maybe it's just because like you said the people are impoverished but if you're in poverty wouldn't you be looking for a better life other than a quick fix oh of course you don't that's the same thing that we are talking about here people and poverty they're angry they need something to eat and with that anything that's available they want to take but we are saying that you can campaign you can lure people you can rule them with whatever you've got people still have their mind that's why we are human being that is why it is not it is not a it's not cast in stone that oh once they they spoke to you you go out there to vote for them so whatever you want to do do it before the election day people still have their mind to go out there and seek out their votes for whoever they want but in the situation whereby you bring it right there to the election ground that is the problem here they call this one see and buy that is what I'm saying maybe you're not even getting it they bring the money right there and they are giving people money right there and you say we are having an election or we are pricing paper or sweets that is no election it is no election at all the kids people obviously are watching you and what message would you be giving to them that would you think would change their minds if there be an opportunity for rerun wait get it it is not that the kids people naturally will not want to vote with their own choice they will want to vote their choice but I'm saying there is hunger in the land and because of that because of that now there is an inducement right there to their face like this you they have choice vote for who you like or stay hungry and die and of course it is reasonable to one would get the money what's your message to akiti people oh what we are saying now is akiti people we are there of course you see that there's no jubilation go right on there on the street there's no jubilation people are not happy because they actually vote against their own wish so now they are calling that they do even want this election let it be cancelled of course they've got to what they needed from them what we are saying cancel this election let's have it free and fair and if it is like that let us let also everybody now be on going to watch this that okay no money will be bring will be brought to the election ground and with that with that we are so sure that okay fine akiti people will now vote their own choice please give akiti this chance we can't you can't you can't make them go hungry or to buy them okay akiti still remain a poor state and akiti should not be poor with all akiti is endowed with akiti should not be poor and they do this over the years please this must stop and and they can help us by canceling this election they have spent the money of course a lot of you benefited from it but they are not still happy because they know they know they know it you need to go to akiti and see what i'm talking about okay well i want to say thank you um prince at day in ka ali is the gubernatorial candidate for the app and he was part of the just concluded governorship elections in akiti state it was so good to have you join us in this conversation all right that's it on this segment we'll take a quick break and when we return we'll be talking about the running mate for the people's democratic party pdp governor ifa in your core of uh deltas state and what orhan is the and the fennifer have to say about that stay with us