BREAKING: Senate opens public hearing on vote-buying ahead of 2019 elections

As the 2019 general elections draw nearer, the Nigerian Senate on Monday, December 10, formally declared open the public hearing on vote-buying and improving electoral processes in the country.

It was gathered that the Senate made the disclosure on its official Twitter page on Monday, December 10.

The Senate president, Bukola Saraki, had earlier welcomed the National Assembly Joint Committee on Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to the one-day event.

Saraki said: “I have the pleasure of welcoming you all to this One-Day Public Hearing on Vote Buying and Improving Electoral Processes in Nigeria, organised by the Joint Committee on Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)."

The chairman of the committee, Senator Suleiman Nazif, led the opening prayer and welcomed Bukola Saraki, Speaker Yakub Dogara, senators and honourable members.

Nazif, in his welcome address, said: “Any person who processes fake voters card or violates the rules and regulation is liable to five-year imprisonment.”

According to him, it is not only the responsibility of the legislators, but the executive, police, Armed Forces and other agencies are also to ensure credible elections.

In his welcome address, Speaker Dogara said: “I am delighted to address you on this public hearing. This is one of the important issues of the moment that needs to be addressed before the 2019 general elections.

“For election to be qualified under a democratic government, it must be free, fair and credible. The recent phenomenal and direct buying of votes is very disheartening. As citizens, we must not surrender to this criminality.

“Vote-buying and other criminal electoral process have left our citizen in disaster because they are ruled by fear, rather than challenging them.

“The purpose of this public hearing is to enable all of us to interrogate the issue and proffer solutions in order to ensure that every vote counts."

Meanwhile, it was previously reported that the majority leader of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, on Saturday, December 8, said there was nothing to worry about in President Muhammadu Buhari’s decision to withhold assent on the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2018.

According to the majority leader, the Electoral Act (2010) is good enough for the conduct of the 2019 general elections.

He said the president’s decision should not be misinterpreted, adding that it was done in the interest of the country.