For Nigeria to have elections
that would meet international standard, a coalition of election observer groups
have called on the National Assembly to review the Electoral Act to make
perpetrators of vote buying get jail terms in the country.
The coalition told the National
Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood
Yakubu , to set machinery in motion to ensure that such review is carried out
before the 2019 general elections, to make the country’s election attain global
reckoning.
The Ekiti-based civil society
organisations which made this call in their report on the July 14 Ekiti
governorship election, include: New Initiative For Social Development (NISD),
International Federal of Women Lawyers (FIDA) and Centre for Social Justice,
Good Health and Community Development (CSJGHCD).
They adjudged INEC and security
agencies to have done creditably in the conduct of the election.
At a press conference jointly
addressed by the NISD Executive Director, Abiodun Oyeleye and FIDA Programme
Officer, Blessing Ajileye, on Monday, the groups noted that INEC improved
tremendously in the conduct of the election compared to previous elections that
were substantially rated to have either turned inconclusive or marred with
irregularities.
They said the five security men
per polling unit structure deployed for the conduct of the poll checkmated
incidents of ballot snatching that had been identified to be the greatest
impediment of electioneering in the past.
Oyeleye, who delivered the report
, exonerated the police of complicity in the vote buying syndrome, noting that
chasing the perpetrators around the polling units might distract their
attentions from the fundamental function of protecting election materials, the
electorate and INEC staff during elections.
“The election represented the
will of the people of Ekiti State, with the exception of votes buying we
noticed. Many of those who cast their votes were willing to be bought. Some
even waited at the polling units waiting for the highest bidder. And our
observation showed that all parties were culpable of this.
“We recommend effective sanctions
for political parties who engage in inducement of voters to curb the ugly
menace and this can only happen when the National Assembly review the existing
laws.
“If you sell your votes, you
can’t be expecting good roads, good healthcare delivery among others, because
you have made politicians to see elections as investments.
“To help the INEC in this regard,
governments must prioritise the welfare of the people. A situation whereby
salaries and pensions are not paid for as long as seven or eight months can
make people vulnerable to votes buying on election day”, Oyeleye stated.
Oyeleye applauded INEC for the
prompt arrival of materials at the polling units, saying accreditation and
voting commenced in most polling units in Ekiti as early as 8am.
On her part, the FIDA boss,
Ajileye praised the security agencies , INEC and the electorate for giving out
their best for the success of the election.
She added that 85 per cent of the
smart card readers deployed in Ekiti were functional, stressing that this also
added to the credibility of the election.
The FIDA chief urged the public
to discountenance allegations that the security and INEC connived to fabricate
figures in favour of a particular political party.
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