APC "Deliberately Corrupting the Election in Osun" with Traders Moni , Ezekwesili Blasts Osinbajo

Oby Ezekwesili, former Minister for Education

Oby Ezekwesili, former Minister of Education and co-convener of the Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) movement, has accused the Federal Government of "deliberately corrupting the elections in Osun" by launching the Trader Moni venture in the state three weeks before its scheduled governorship elections.

In a widely publicised event, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, on September 3, 2018, had launched the programme, which targeted 30,000 traders in Osun.

According to information from the programme's Twitter handle, Trader Moni is a "Federal Government empowerment scheme to help alleviate poverty in Nigeria by empowering traders and artisans".

The Federal Government budgeted N300,000,000 to "empower" traders in Osun, and the loan is expected to be repaid within six months, after which the traders can access higher amounts.

However, Ezekwesili berated the timing of the launch in Osun, stating that "such behaviour after the grand corrupting of voters in Ekiti is reprehensible".

SahareReporters had reported that for traders to access the N10,000 loan, they had to provide evidence of having registered for the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).

A tweet via Ezekwesili's handle read:

"The Federal Government either failed to be Ethically Circumspect or in fact Deliberately decided to CORRUPT the Elections in Osun by handing out Cash to Traders JUST BEFORE the State Elections. Such behavior after the Grand Corrupting of Voters in Ekiti is REPREHENSIBLE."