A percentage of the crowd that turn
up at election campaign rallies held
by political parties for the
forthcoming general elections is
rented; investigations by SUNDAY
PUNCH has shown.
Each of those contracted for the
rallies are paid between N500 and
N5,000.
It was learnt that the amount paid
depends on the profile of the
event, the distance of the venue
and the calibre of people engaged.
The ruling Peoples Democratic
Party and the major opposition
party, All Progressives Congress, as
well as other parties has been
making claims, especially on social
media, that the huge crowd that
turn up at their campaigns was a
proof of their popularity.
SUNDAY PUNCH, however, learnt
that women and youth groups, as
well as ‘elders’ are hired in Akwa
Ibom, Oyo, Abia,
In Uyo, a member of the PDP, Mr.
Eric Ekanem, who spoke to one of
our correspondents, said, “If you
observe, you will see that those
who attend PDP rallies and
campaigns are often mobilised at
the end of the event, where they
are given between N200 and N2000
each.
“The amount each person receives
depends on the groups they
belong.”
An Eket-based woman, Ms. Ikwo
Edet, said she was paid N500 after
the last political rally she attended
in Uyo.
In Umuahia, Abia State, a source,
who begged not to be named,
revealed that unemployed youths,
students of both secondary and
tertiary institutions, tricycle and
motorcycle riders, as well as traders
form the category of individuals
easily rented.
The source said the rent ranges
from N500 to N3000, depending on
the category of the individual and
the importance of the political rally.
Confirming this, a tricycle driver,
who identified himself as ‘One
Nigeria’, said he did not belong to
any political party but was ready to
be hired by any party that could pay
his charges.
Similalarly in Enugu State, SUNDAY
PUNCH learnt that students are a
major population hired for political
rallies.
A student, who gave his name as
Ebuka, told one of our
correspondents that he had been
part of a rented crowd in several
rallies.
He said, “We have link men who are
close to the politicians. Whenever
the need arises, they usually get in
touch with us. We are mobilised
through these contact persons.”
It was a similar case in Bayelsa
State, where parties reach out to
youth and women groups in the
local governments area for
mobilisation.
A regular participant in such rallies,
Ms. Ebilami Victor, who hails from
Ekeremor area of the state, said she
usually took part in such activity
because it was the only way to
make money.
“It depends on where the
campaign is taking place. If it is
within the local government area,
each participant is usually paid
between N1500 and N2000. But if it
is Yenagoa, the state capital, we are
paid N3000.
“But when it is outside the state,
each person is paid between N2000
and N5000,” she said.
In Oyo State, there is a network
through which crowds are gathered
for political purposes. The ring is
run by a women and men group, it
was learnt.
Youths in Ondo State are also
having a swell time attending
political rallies organised by parties
and candidates ahead of the
elections.
A party member, who gave his
name as Adedeji, who attended a
Social Democratic Party rally in
Akure, told one of our
correspondents that each
‘supporter’ engaged by one of the
candidates received N2, 500 to
attend the rally.
Another supporter, an unemployed,
who identified himself simply as
Makinde, told our correspondent
that he received N1000 to attend
the rally.
In Cross River State, SUNDAY PUNCH
learnt that political parties have
resorted to contracting the job of
hiring crowd to individuals or
groups within the party.
Depending on the venue of the
rally, the task of mobilising at least
1000 persons spread across the 18
Local Government Areas of the state
could cost between N800,000 and
N1m.
In the ruling PDP, one of such
mobilisers, who preferred not to be
named, said his last task of hiring
300 persons to a rally at the central
senatorial district cost N1m.
In the case of Edo State, many of the
supporters, who are predominantly
youths, are sourced from both
within the state and from
neighbouring states.
A source within the APC said, “You
know that there is unemployment
and hunger everywhere. They can
get N1,500 or N2,000, for
transportation or feeding. If you are
politically active, you would
understand that you don’t have to
be a card-carrying member of a
party to show your support,” he
said.
However, the APC insisted that in its
case, crowds at its event venues
were genuine Nigerians who were
tired of the cluelessness of the
PDP-led administration.
The National Publicity Secretary of
the APC, Mr. Lai Mohammed, told
SUNDAY PUNCH in an interview in
Abuja that it was impossible for the
party to hire a crowd for any of its
events.
Similarly, the PDP said it did rent
crowd or pay those who attend its
rallies across the country.
The National Legal Adviser of the
PDP, Mr. Victor Kwon, who spoke
with one of our correspondent in
an interview in Abuja, described
anyone making such insinuation as
a political novice.
by ROTMANLUV 2023-07-08, 17:34
