Primary Election: Delegates Face Juju Priests, Get Dollars For Votes
2 min read
Those aspiring for political positions in the 2023 elections are adopting various strategies to secure the votes of delegates as the two major political parties-the APC and PDP choose their candidates this week.
While some of them are lobbying the delegates with naira, others are going a step further to make promises of dollar payments to the delegates. But some other aspirants who obviously do not want to take chances with the delegates are engaging the services of juju priests to administer some form of oath on the delegates.
In the four states of Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River and Rivers, the aspirants are desperately going after the delegates, even with promises of food stuff. A particular aspirant in Akwa Ibom is said to be promising to pay the school fees of the children of delegates.
In Akwa Ibom, about 165 delegates would be expected to vote, while in Bayelsa, there would expectedly be 79 delegates, 194 in Cross River and Cross River: 194 delegates and 151 delegates in Rivers.
Some of the aspirants have already started making arrangements for the delegates to be camped in choice locations. While some of the delegates are to be camped in hotels, a few of the aspirants prefer to camp the delegates in their villages.
A particular aspirant with an expansive and palatial home in his Akwa Ibom village is set to move the delegates there this week.
TNN learnt that certain aspirants in Akwa Ibom, Cross River and another in Bayelsa state had to approach a juju priest with the plan of moving all the delegates he thinks are on his side, to swear to an oath of loyalty.
One of the aspirants is believed to have arranged to pay his delegates at least $1,500 each, to enable him secure their votes for the governorship ticket of his party.
TNN gathered that in a certain local government in Akwa Ibom, an aspirant who has been battling against the wish of political leaders from his constituency, has already arranged N150,000 for each delegate.
Those who are opposed to the aspirant are said to have planned to raise N250,000 for each of the delegates. As at Saturday, so much money had been raised for the purpose. The leaders have assured the aspirant that they would work hard enough to ensure victory for the person of their choice.
It was learnt that one aspirant from one of the Ikwerre speaking local governments of Rivers State met with some delegates last week and gave them the Holy Bible to swear, before he would pay them for their votes. The aspirant is aspiring to become a senator.
Expectedly, none of the aspirants agreed that they were going the extra mile, including administering oaths on the delegates, as part of strategies to get their votes.
