Vote Buying: Stakeholders Advocates Laws, Technologies …As INEC Reassures Commitment To Free, Fair, Credible Poll

Stakeholders in the electioneering process has advocated stringent laws and technology driven measures to curb the excesses of vote buying during the 2023 poll.

They made the disclosure at a one-day Capacity Building Workshop for State Actors on Promoting Service Delivery, on Monday, in Ado-Ekiti, organised by Justice Development and Peace Initiative, JDPI, Ekiti Diocese with support from the European Union.

Speaking on the post-election processes from 2019 to 2023, the Director of Media, JDPI and an Election Observer, Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Akingbade, identified issues of low turnout, vote buying, non-accessibility for PWDs as the major challenges. 

In their contributions, a representative from the office of Disability in Ekiti State, Adeniran Nathaniel, canvassed accessibility to polling units for PWDs, provision of braille ballot papers among others.

While calling for stringent laws, legal frameworks, institutional frameworks and introduction of technologies to curb the excesses of vote buying, an overhaul of Nigeria’s system of electioneering was equally raised. 

On their part, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, reassured its commitment to a free, fair and credible election. 

The Head, Election and Party Monitoring, INEC in Ekiti State, Austin Orogbu, decried the low level of citizens participation in Ekiti State stating that the state has the lowest registered voters in the country.

He cautioned the electorates to desist from vote buying noting that politicians have used it as a weapon to inflict more hardship and impoverish the citizens.

Similarly, the security agents including the Police, DSS, NSCDC and Amotekun Corps all pledged to perform their duties in accordance to the electoral law.