Tag: Vote Buying

2019: Vote buying a threat to Nigeria’s democracy – Saraki, Dogara

President of the Senate, Sen. Bukola Saraki, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Yakubu Dogara, on Monday said vote buying is a threat to the nation’s democracy.

Speaking at a public hearing in Abuja, they called for urgent action by stakeholders, especially security agencies to check the menace before the 2019 general election.

The hearing was conducted by the National Assembly Joint Committee on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja.

In a keynote address, Saraki said the country was in a delicate situation as the entire world was looking forward to what would happen in the coming general election.

This, he said, is understandable considering that President Muhammadu Buhari is the current Chairman of the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS).

“Moreover, the Chairman of INEC is the head of Electoral Commissions in West Africa.

“With these positions, it is clear that we cannot afford to conduct an election that will not be credible, peaceful, free and fair.

“It is noteworthy that in 2015, we set an enviable standard that encouraged more countries in Africa to democratize.

“In 2019, we cannot lower the standard. We must up the ante, because whatever we do will have impact on the continent and serve as a representation of Africa on the global stage,” he said.

Saraki noted that the country could not afford to send wrong signals with its actions or inactions in the build-up to the election.

He said that Nigeria must tell the world in action that it was ready to improve its electoral process by making it more transparent and commendable.

“At this point, it does seem to me that the onus is on INEC to demonstrate its independence. It should be pro-active and take bold decisions.

“And this is necessary because the responsibility to conduct a credible poll is solely that of the Commission. This is elemental to retaining the confidence of the electorate,” he said.

He expressed worry over alleged collusion by security agents with political actors to disenfranchise voters, citing reports of voter intimidation in the recent governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun.

“We cannot under any circumstances militarize election, because that defeats the purpose of free, fair and credible poll.

“In an election, access to the polling units for the purpose of casting one’s vote is the bare minimum.

“INEC must set the rules for their engagement during elections, which they are to follow.

“The Commission should further seek the co-operation of respective security agencies to ensure strict compliance,” he said.

On his part, Dogara described vote buying as the highest form of corruption.

He said although “undue influence of voters” was a global phenomenon, the recent “direct pricing and buying of votes as if in a market square is very disturbing”.

Dogara said, “It is disheartening that this absurd phenomenon has assumed alarming proportions in recent times.

“As citizens, we must not surrender to this criminality as we cannot do so and still expect honour.

“When political office holders defy the law and corruptly assume office, they will always operate as if they are above the law.

“Vote buying and other sundry criminal manipulation of the electoral process in Nigeria has left our citizens in a state of unmitigated disaster,’’ he said.

He added that the nation’s democracy had stagnated and would sadly remain so until Nigerians eliminate all sham election that produces their worst as leaders over their best.

Chairman of the committee, Sen. Suleiman Nazif, blamed vote buying on poverty, unemployment, lack of stringent punitive measures, lawlessness, laxity of law enforcement agencies, insufficient voter education, and ignorance, among others.

Nazif said the public hearing was, therefore, held to seek suggestions from stakeholders on how to find lasting solutions to the problem.

December 10, 2018
Vote buying becoming scandalous in Nigeria – Jonathan

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has berated politicians who indulge in inducing the electorate during campaigns, stating that such actions are criminalised in international quarters.

Speaking on the occasion of his 61st birthday and the launch of his book, ‘My Transition Hours’, held in Abuja on Tuesday, Jonathan admitted that he didn’t know that such actions by politicians were criminal, until he observed elections in foreign climes.

He said he made the comments on the electoral process in the country in order to pave the way for improvement that can be adopted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Speaking on his inspiration for the book, he said: “People ask me, ‘why did you write such a book?’ Because the tradition is that when many people leave office, they write their autobiographies. However, this is not my biography. Definitely, there are some statements about my beginning, primary school, secondary school, among others, because, of course, the journey started somewhere. And also my activities in government.

“There are certain issues in the government that were used against me during the election. The issue of Boko Haram and the Chibok girls; in fact, some people said I had brought Boko Haram to reduce the voting population of the North, so that I would win the election. So, I commented on the Chibok girls. Also, the fuel subsidy that was really used by the politicians. Of course, politicians must have smelt opportunities, so I don’t blame them. Even if it’s myself, I would probably do the same thing, but I needed to explain certain things as to why we took that decision. On the issue of corruption, I made some suggestions on how we should go about it.

“I also used this opportunity to make a little suggestion in terms of our elections. The issue of vote buying is becoming scandalous in Nigeria. We know that there is this concept of inducing the electorate, which most countries control.

For all the countries I’ve gone to observe elections, ordinary inducement of the electorate is criminalised. But here in Nigeria, we take inducement of the electorate as a part of the electoral process. What I mean by inducing the electorate is that during campaign, we’ll package rice, salt, photograph of the candidate and the logo of the party and distribute to the people. That is wrong by all international standards. I did not know until I got involved in observing elections.

“But those are still being considered as not serious offences. In all the countries I’ve gone to observe elections, even at the rallies, nobody will give you a pen with a candidate’s name on it. All what the candidate and the parties will do is the T-Shirt, face-caps and the fliers and banners of the party; nobody gives any gift.”

Coming back to the Nigerian setting, he continued: “It graduated from inducing the electorate to outright pricing and buying of votes. INEC must do everything to stop that. We should take a cue from some African countries. In all the countries I’ve gone to observe elections, nobody builds polling booths. We have polling centres, public buildings such as schools. One school will have many polling units and it’s easier for the Police to police these polling units together and it’ll be difficult for someone who is in the classroom to show you the ballot paper.

“If you design the electoral process in a way that you cannot see the ballot paper, then the issue of outright vote buying will be addressed.”

He also noted that the name of Adams Oshiomhole, National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was “mentioned in two places in that book”, and he asked him to “go and read about it”.

Jonathan also revealed that the foundation launched in his name has enjoyed the support of all governors under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as well as some governors under the All Progressives Congres (APC).

He extended special regards to his wife, Dame Patience Jonathan, and expressd the possibility of appearing on national television to reveal more about the book, should the occasion permit.

He also thanked those who had honoured him by gracing the occasion.

November 21, 2018
How Osinbajo is activating Buhari’s vote buying machinery ahead of 2019 elections – SMBLF

…Condemns assassination attempts on Ekweremadu

The Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum(SMBLF) on Wednesday accused the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo of subtly luring voters for President Muhammadu Buhari and the APC at large ahead of the 2019 general elections.

The group said the vice president was already engaging in “advance(d) vote buying” ahead of the 2019 polls.

The group, which met in Abuja to deliberate on the state of the nation, noted that the Tradermoni scheme of the government was an avenue to corrupt the electorate ahead of the general elections next year.

In a communiqué jointly signed by leaders of the zones, namely, Yinka Odumakin, South West; Bassey Ewa-Henshaw, South South, Isuwa Dogo, Middle Belt and Chigozie Ogbu, South East, the group demanded the stoppage of the scheme as it shames the anticorruption campaign of the present administration.

“Meeting expressed utter disappointment in the Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Prof Yemi Osinbajo for his continued corruption of the electorates in a funny scheme named ‘Tradermoni’,” read the communiqué.

“We noted his odious outing with this corrupt act shortly before the Osun governorship election when he went to dole out cash to would -be voters and distributing forms in which beneficiaries were asked to fill in their PVC details and phone number.

“A few days back, he took the perverse scheme to Lagos accompanied by the Governor of Lagos and the APC governorship candidate in Lagos state, an act that totally betrayed the political manipulation of the polity with pecuniary tools.

“It is rather unfortunate that a Professor and Senior Advocate of Nigeria is not ashamed to be doing this open ‘see and buy’ ahead of elections while he continues to preach virtues when convenient.

“We demand immediate suspension of this scheme in the manner the VP is going about it presently as it shames the whole anti-corruption campaign of the administration. It is pure bribery of voters.”

The Buhari administration launched a new initiative under the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP), called the Trader Moni, which it said, will empower two million petty traders before the end of the year.

The scheme would grant a minimum of 30,000 loans in each state of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.

TraderMoni is designed to help petty traders expand their trade through the provision of collateral free loans of N10,000. The loans are repayable within a period of six months.

Under the scheme, beneficiaries can get access to a higher facility ranging from N15,000 to N50,000 when they repay N10,000 within the stipulated time period.

Meanwhile, the forum also expressed displeasure over the assassination on the deputy senate president, Ike Ekweremadu, and condemned the response of the police on the attack.

Recall that the police said interim investigations show the attack was a case of burglary.

“Meeting condemned the irresponsible response of the police to the recent terror visited on the home of the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweramandu,” the communiqué highlighted.

“Accounts by the DSP showed that police did not respond to (the) distress call and visited the scene of crime several hours after the attackers struck at his residence.

“We were shocked to see police spokesman concluding the incident was a burglary attack within a few hours of little or no investigation in the order the current IGP dismissed the arsonist attack that claimed the lives of Kano REC and his family in 2015 as mere accident shortly after visiting the scene of crime.

“With the invasion of the Senate months by security operatives and the sealing of Ekweremadu’s home the day (the) Senate President beat police cordon, the police are making inquiring minds to wonder if this was not a state terror.

“We strongly advise the police to stop behaving like a partisan outfit and embrace professionalism in handling matters like this. We demand a thorough investigation of the incident.”

The group also expressed its displeasure over the spate of violence going on in different parts of the country without adequate response from the state.

“We are worried by the Killings in Kaduna, Plateau, Shiites in Abuja as well as kidnappings in Delta State and other parts of the country,” the leaders said.

“We are not shy to say that the government has failed in its primary responsibility of securing the lives and property of citizens.

“A Government that cannot rise up to the challenge of securing the polity is not fit to be in office.”

However, efforts to reach the vice president’s spokesman, Laolu Akande, were unsuccessful as at the time of filing this report.

November 9, 2018
2019: Bayagbon cautions youths against old ways

Eweka Palmer Bayagbon, President of Advancement for Youth Development (AYD), has cautioned youths to be weary of old ways of politicians, especially as the 2019 general elections rapidly draw near.

TheNewsGuru (TNG) reports Bayagbon stated this in a chat on Sunday, urging youths to shun acts of vote-selling/vote-buying, and acts tantamount to disrupting the electoral process, while also stressing that youths have distinctive interests and are more inclined to change the old ways.

“A well-established democracy is founded on the premise associated with continuity, as a fundamental political value, in order to maintain a democratic political system that creates stability in the place of chronic instability.

“However, to create this stability, young people should be at the forefront as they can be seen as having distinctive interest and more inclined to change the old ways, more idealistic and focused in their goals and less loyal to the old established tradition,” he stated.

The AYD president further stated that when youths are empowered, they can be key agents for global innovation and development within their various constituent assemblies.

He, however, lamented that presently young people are experiencing a political crisis, which includes the constant manipulation of the political process by a significant faction of the professional political class that marginalizes youth participation in the political process.

He also stated that there is a cult of ignorance in our society which has always been the true reflection of anti-intellectualism that has threaded through our political and cultural life.

“Therefore, the time is now for young people to stand and speak for themselves and cultivate self-belief in their abilities to fully exploit every opportunity at proposing various measures aimed at stabilizing our commitment towards democratic process in 2019, and beyond.

“Subsequently, our survival depends on our ability to stay awake, to adjust to new ideas, to remain vigilant and to face the challenges that will surely come from the privileged few couple with their watchdogs that are empowered with fee to air political mechanized tools such as euphemism, lies and possibly using all available forces to deceive, subdue and forcefully make us to accept their old ways and or even pushing hard to make us demand our own enslavement,” he stated.

November 4, 2018
Vote-buying: INEC replies SERAP, gives conditions to prosecute, arrest suspects

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that it has powers to prosecute allegations of vote buying by both the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the recently concluded governorship election in Ekiti State but lacks the powers to arrest and investigate suspects.

INEC said this in response to the open letter by Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, (SERAP) to the Commission’s Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu requesting the electoral commission to “promptly, thoroughly and effectively investigate allegations of vote buying, and to collaborate with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in any such investigation.”

The organization also urged INEC to “prosecute anyone suspected to be involved and/or complicit in the alleged vote buying, if there is relevant and sufficient admissible evidence of electoral bribery and abuse of the electoral and democratic process against them.”

But INEC in a letter signed by its Acting Secretary Okechukwu Ndeche said that while the Commission’s legal officers or any legal practitioner appointed by it can prosecute alleged vote buying, other agencies must first arrest and investigate suspects before the Commission can prosecute. The Commission however said that it would “partner with other agencies to prosecute electoral offenders.”

The INEC response dated 20 August 2018 but received yesterday by SERAP read in part: “We refer to your letter dated 17th July 2018 wherein you requested that the Commission investigate and prosecute alleged vote buying in the recently concluded governorship election in Ekiti State.”

“The Commission wishes to inform SERAP of the constraints posed by extant statutory provisions against your well-intended request.”

“You may also wish to note that it is not part of the constitutional duties of the Commission to arrest and investigate suspects found to have contravened provisions of the Electoral Act or any other Law for the time being in force. Section 150(2) of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) only confers powers on Legal Officers of the Commission or any other Legal Practitioner appointed by it to undertake prosecution of offences disclosed under the Act.”

“We wish to assure you that the Commission will continue to partner with relevant security agencies to prosecute electoral offenders.”

Reacting, SERAP said: “We note the response by INEC. We will be in court this Friday to seek orders to compel the Commission to work with other agencies to ensure the immediate arrest, investigation and prosecution of all suspects allegedly involved in vote buying in Ekiti State, Anambra State, Edo State and Ondo State.”

It would be recalled that SERAP had earlier given Professor Yakubu 14 days to prosecute suspects “failing which SERAP will institute legal proceedings to compel you and the INEC to discharge your constitutional and statutory responsibilities in the public interest.”

SERAP’s letter copied to both the ICPC and the EFCC read in part: “It is the responsibility of INEC as an independent body to take meaningful steps and action to minimise electoral bribery by politicians, ensure political equality and prevent unfair electoral competition. No body politic worthy of being called a democracy entrusts the selection of leaders to a process of auction or barter.”

“Vote buying amounts to undue influence and improper electoral influence. When politicians buy votes, they reinforce social subjugation and do long-term damage to poor voters, as vote buying impairs voters’ already limited political power and participation in governance. Offering and giving poor people money to buy their votes is the hallmark of political disrespect, as it implies that politicians perceive voters as lacking autonomy.”

“Investigating the allegations and prosecuting all those suspected to be involved would indicate your agencies’ willingness to exert your authorities and act as a deterrent against breaches of the electoral process, Nigeria’s anti-corruption legislation and international standards.”

“SERAP therefore urges you to carry out investigation and prosecution of vote buying in Ekiti election but also in the elections in Anambra State, Edo State and Ondo State, in collaboration with the ICPC and EFCC of the allegations of vote buying, as highlighted above, and to send a strong message to politicians that INEC under your leadership would not tolerate any infringement of the electoral process ahead of the 2019 general elections.”

“Turnout of poor voters may decrease if they view a wealth-driven electoral system increasingly stacked against their interests. It is inconsistent and incompatible with the principles of democracy, the rule of law, transparency and accountability for politicians to use vote buying to perpetuate systems of regular patronage, knowing that such acts would purchase them sympathy and support, especially from socially and economically vulnerable communities.”

“Vote buying amounts to undue interference in the free exercise of the right to vote, as it implicitly aims at influencing or attempting to influence a voter not to vote or to vote in a particular manner. Specifically, the alleged giving of N3,000 or N5,000 to voters during the Ekiti election or payment into the bank accounts of voters is corruptly intended, and clearly aimed to influence their choice of candidates and voting intention. This practice seriously undermines the right of voters to freely vote according to their convictions.”

“Further, vote buying gives wealthy politicians an advantage in election campaigns and outcome greater than what they already possess, and it biases political decisions in favor of the wealthy. Our democracy cannot be sustainable when the electoral system inordinately prioritises the rights of political parties and their candidates in elections over and above those of the ordinary voter.”

“When politicians buy votes from the poor, political equality will suffer. If voters choose candidates for public office at least in part based on the voters’ economic interests, and these economic interests vary depending upon one’s wealth, candidates chosen in elections where the wealthy buy the votes of the poor more likely will reflect the views of the wealthy. Thus, economic disparities will translate into political disparities in the election of candidates.”

“According to reports, agents of the APC and the PDP allegedly openly engaged in vote buying in some polling units during Ekiti Governorship election. Many voters were videoed moving in numbers to ‘cash collection points’ in lieu of their votes. Others received credit alerts on their mobile phones.”

“We consider allegations of vote buying as political corruption, because it is the promising or giving of value in the form of money, in return for a promise of a vote. We are concerned that the failure of INEC to rein in electoral bribery is illustrated by the fact that the body has failed and/or neglected to investigate and prosecute similar incidents of vote buying in places like Edo State; Anambra State and Ondo State.”

“SERAP is seriously concerned that vote buying undermines the ability of INEC to discharge its responsibilities under Section 153 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and paragraph 15(a) of the third schedule of the Constitution, the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) and under the UN Convention against Corruption to which Nigeria is a state party.”

August 29, 2018
Vote buying: INEC to re-design polling units ahead of 2019 elections

Mr Mustapha Lecky, the South South Commissioner, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says the commission would redesign the structures of all polling units to curb vote buying during the 2019 general election.

Lecky disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria at Auchi, in Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo, on Monday.

“We are taking measures to ensure that it would be difficult for political parties and their candidates to buy votes.

“We are going to re-design our polling area in such a way that people cannot exhibit their ballot and show it to people in order to collect money.

“So those kind of structural re-design of the polling area is what we are going to do,” he said.

Lecky urged the media to expose political parties and candidates found engaging in vote buying during the election, to enable INEC prosecute the culprits.

“We need the media to help us reveal those who are buying votes and call them to order.

“We are not yet apprehending them, that is the work of the police, but we can provide information to prosecute them; the needed investigation will be done by the police,” he said.

On the establishment of more polling units, Lecky said the INEC would create additional polling units after the elections as doing so now would be misinterpreted by politicians.

He said however that the commission would decongest polling units and create voting points close to the original polling unit.

“Unfortunately, we are not going to create them before the 2019 election because it is very political.

“Even before we start to gather information so that we can take a decision, people are already saying that INEC has created 30,000 polling units and distributed some to some parts of the country to the detriment of other parts of the country, so it becomes very political.

“We don’t want to have that as part of our burden ahead of 2019 election.

“I am sure after the 2019 election there will be sanity, we will then take time to study all the things we have collated and go about the issue of creating more polling units, but not before 2019 election.

“We can decongest a polling unit and create a voting points not far away from the mother polling units, that is much we can do, but actual polling unit would be after the election,” he said.

The INEC national commissioner appealed to the National Assembly to pass the commission’s budget to enable it access funds for the conduct of the general election.

“We are praying that the National Assembly will have a change of heart and go ahead and pass the budget as quickly as possible, because we are running at a critical stage now.

“We need the funds to be able to do what we need to do, we are now in August and it will be September very soon and we don’t have a budget, that is a serious matter.

“Nigerians should go ahead and help us appeal to National Assembly to do the best they can to pass the budget so that we can have funds to run,” he said.

August 27, 2018
We won’t tolerate vote-buying in Osun governorship election – REC

The Sept. 22 governorship election in Osun will be free of vote-buying, Mr Olusegun Agbaje, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Osun has assured.

Agbaje gave the assurance while addressing newsmen at the Osun Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Correspondent Chapel in Osogbo on Thursday.

He said toward achieving the set goal, the commission had commenced repositiong its operations to prevent such negative development during the forthcoming and subsequent elections in the area.

“We are making arrangements to reposition the voting cubicle so that ballot papers cannot be shown to another person after thump-printing on it.

“We are also looking at putting one of the three security officers closer to the cubicles so that showing of ballot papers would be prevented.

“We are working with INEC headquarters to see how we can prevent voters from taking their phones into the cubicles.

“This is to prevent them from taking pictures of their ballots, with a view to exchanging it for money.

“We have also spoken with the Commissioner of Police and heads of other security outfits, to go round the polling units during the elections and arrest anybody buying or selling votes.

“In the same vein, I will also be going round the polling units too and arrest people who engage in vote buying, as there is something called civilian arrest, “he said.

He said the commission was embarrassed by the reports of vote buying during elections, noting that the allegation was worrisome.

“It is embarrassing to have three security agents at a polling unit and vote buying still takes place right in their presence.

“We have been talking with politicians because if they don’t bring money to the polling units, no electorate will be selling his or her vote. According to law, vote buying is a serious offense.“

According to Agbaje, the commission is desirous of having a successful election in Osun, adding that whatever happens in the conduct of the election will reflect 2019 general elections.

He called on media practitioners to support the commission “at this crucial time, “ stressing that voting-buying was capable marring the credibility of elections in the country, if not arrested.

August 23, 2018
Osun poll: INEC bans mobile phones at polling units, moves against vote buying

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has issued strict warning against the use of mobile phones in the forthcoming governorship election in Osun State.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner in Osun State, Olusegun Agbaje said the commission in collaboration with security agents will do everything to prevent vote buying during the September 22 governorship election in the state.

The REC, who said this in Osogbo on Thursday at a meeting held with the governorship candidates, their running mates and party officials as part of the preparations of the commission ahead of the poll, stressed that voters would not be allowed to use telephones to take photographs of their ballots.

According to him, some voters have been using camera to take photographs of their ballots and show the same photos to politicians in order to be paid for voting for them.

Agbaje, who was the REC that conducted the August 2014 governorship election in the state before he was transferred to Ondo State and brought back again, said that INEC was determined to conduct a transparent and violence-free election in Osun State and therefore needed the cooperation of all stakeholders to achieve this.

He said vote-buying was an electoral offence, saying that emerging trends of electoral fraud would be curbed. he, however, noted that it required the support of all stakeholders and security agents.

Agbaje said, “We won’t allow people to go to the polling booths with their telephones. There won’t be anything to show that this is who they cast their votes for. We have security agents and they will not allow that. You will see our plan to curb this during the election.

“They said it was ‘vote and cook soup’ during Ekiti election, but they have changed it to ‘vote and buy land’ in Osun; but we won’t allow this. If you want to buy land, it won’t be from the money you will make during this election. You will need to look for other means to source money to buy the land.

“That is why we want you all candidates and party leaders to talk to your people to stop this. If you see anybody giving money to people during the election, alert security agents.”

August 9, 2018
Vote buying: INEC seeks stakeholders’ support

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Monday urged stakeholders to give it the necessary support to curb vote-buying and other electoral offences.

The Chairperson, Legal Services of the INEC, Mrs May Agbamuche-Mbu, made the appeal in Lagos at two-day training for legal officers of the commission and police officers on the prosecution of electoral offences.

The training was organised by INEC in conjunction with the European Centre for Electoral Support (ECES).

Agbamuche-Mbu said vote-buying and other electoral malpractices undermined the credibility of elections and by extension democracy.

She said that though INEC had limitations in terms of resources, technology and personnel, it would continue do its best to address the issue.

The INEC official urged law-enforcement agents, politicians, civil societies and others to complement the commission’s efforts and do their best to deal with vote-buying and other malpractices.

“Now more than ever, there is the need to prevent, curtail and manage various electoral offences.

“Recent happenings in Ekiti State during the just concluded governorship election have thrown up the need for a closer look at our prosecutorial efforts in the area of electoral offences.

“Vote-buying has become an issue as witnessed in the Ekiti State governorship election and INEC cannot stand aloof and allow its efforts in planning successful elections be thrown into disrepute.

“We must protect the sanctity and secrecy of the votes. We will do our best to ensure this,’’ she said.

Agbamuche-Mbu said the duty of prosecution of electoral offences had placed a great burden on the commission.

She said it was because of this that the commission had over the years advocated the creation of an Electoral Offences Commission to effectively handle electoral offences.

The chairperson said the duty of prosecution of electoral offences had placed a great burden on the commission.

She explained that it was because of this that the commission had over the years advocated the creation of an Electoral Offences Commission to effectively handle electoral offences.

Agbamuche-Mbu said it was in view of this that INEC was conducting the training for its legal officers and police officers to enhance their capacities.

She thanked ECES for supporting the training programme, urging it to continue to support INEC to effectively discharge its responsibilities.

In his speech, Dr Adekunle Ogunmola, INEC National Commissioner in charge of South West, said the commission was committed to the conduct of free and fair elections in the country.

Ogunmola said that the commission would require the support of all Nigerians to achieve the goal.

Earlier, the Project Co-ordinator of ECES, Mr Rudolf Elbling, said the perpetration of election offences had an impact on the integrity of the electoral process.

“Election offences constitute a violation of the laws and regulations guiding the conduct of elections, leading to the destruction of electoral materials and disruption of elections,’’ he said.

Elbing said there was therefore the need to put in place effective mechanisms to punish electoral offenders to protect the electoral process.

He said it was important to enhance the capacities of those involved in the prosecution of electoral offences to deal with the problem of electoral malpractices.

Ebling said ECES partnered with INEC to conduct the training of its legal officers and police officers to enable them do more to deter electoral malpractices.

“The training, which is first in the series to be organised across the six geo-political zones, is also to boost professional synergies among some of the most important stakeholders in the electoral process.

“The objective of the training is to improve the skills of INEC legal officers and police in the prosecution of electoral offences,’’ he said.

He said the ECES would continue to support INEC to develop its competencies to conduct free and fair elections in the country.

Elbling said that the centre planned to conduct training for Judges of Appeal Courts and Electoral Offences Tribunals, with a view to strengthening their capacities to attend to issues of electoral offences.

July 30, 2018
2019: Vote buying wearies INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has again expressed worries over the menace of vote buying that particularly took a new dimension with the Ekiti state gubernatorial election of recent.

TheNewsGuru reports that at a training organized for INEC legal staff and Police officers on prosecution of electoral offences, Mrs. May Agbamuche-Mbu, INEC National Commissioner and Chair, Legal Services Committee, said the commission cannot stand aloof and allow its efforts in planning successful elections be thrown into disrepute.

In her keynote address, Mrs. Agbamuche said, “There is the need to prevent, curtail and manage various electoral offences”.

She further stated that “recent happenings in Ekiti State during the just concluded Gov. election has thrown up the need for a closer look at our prosecutorial efforts in the area of electoral offences.

“Vote buying has become an issue as witnessed in the Ekiti State Governorship Election and INEC cannot stand aloof and allow its efforts in planning successful elections be thrown into disrepute. We must protect the secrecy and sanctity of the vote”.

TheNewsGuru reports prosecution of electoral offences is a duty enjoined upon the INEC by virtue of Section 150(2) of the electoral Act 2010 (As amended) while police officers are empowered to arrest and investigate offenders by section 4 of the Police Act CAP P19 LFN.

“The duty of prosecution of electoral offences has become a burden on INEC. Consequently, over the years the INEC has been advocating the transfer of this responsibility to another agency, preferably the creation of Electoral Offences Commission.

“The Commission has received support in this quest by various Electoral Reform Committees set up by the Government over the years, Civil Society Organisations and well meaning Nigerians.

“Presently, there is a bill before the National Assembly that has passed its second reading on the creation of the Electoral Offences Commission. We must contend with the status quo; so responsibility still remains with INEC and we must perform our duty.

“I wish to state that the Commission is fully determined to fulfill its responsibilities in the area of prosecuting electoral offences while hoping that the Electoral Offences Commission is set up eventually.

“The idea of this training is well conceived as the interaction and dialogue between our Legal Officers and Police Officers will go a long way in removing some bottlenecks in the prosecution of electoral Offences,” Mrs. Agbamuche stated.

July 30, 2018