Group urges INEC to implement electoral laws to end vote buying

By Felix Oti

Justice Development and Peace Caritas (JDPC), Onitsha, has advised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to consider implementing electoral laws to end the rising incidences of vote buying in elections in the country.

The advise was one of the key recommendations of the JDPC Onitsha in their report on the Anambra State Gubernatorial Election delivered in Onitsha, the commercial city of Anambra State on Wednesday.

The Faith-based humanitarian organization decried as worrisome the increased incidences of vote buying witnessed in Anambra State governorship poll and stated that time has come to set up measures to tame the cankerworm that has permeated deep into the electoral process in the country.

According to them, vote buying was massive and political parties were observed taking part in the practice. “Political stakeholders has continually increased their vote buying activities and this period from amounts ranging from N2,000 to 10,000.”

“INEC should quickly implement the electoral laws against vote buying and sanction or suspend defaulting political parties found to engage in the practice.”

The group in the report signed by the JDPC Onitsha Executive Director, Rev. Dr. Edwin Udoye, expressed need for a sustained intensity on voter education. They also called on INEC to ensure it improves the functionality of the BVAS machine and introduce institutions to ensure proper training of ad-hoc staff instead of the routine 3 days training of officials considered ineffective for smooth conduct of elections.

While JDPC Onitsha advised the commission to ensure it maintains total compliance to the stipulated election code of conduct, it harped on the importance of sensitizing political agents on modalities of their work especially on election day activities. They also advocated for a registered transportation company to be made readily available at every point of conducting election to avert delays often witnessed in election days.

It would be recalled that JDPC deployed no fewer than five hundred and fifty trained election observers for the election and the observers stationed at various polling units to monitor activities and the election process.

Part of their findings included late arrival of INEC officials at polling units, delayed commencement of accreditation and voting across polling units and use of half baked ad-hoc officials for election.

They also captured pre-election fear, BVAS malfunction, low voters turnout, vote buying, citizens activism, snatching of election materials and disruption of electoral activities by hoodlums as the key challenges witnessed in the election.

The group however described the Anambra election as “transparent, peaceful, free, fair and credible” and commended the electoral umpire for their robust efforts. They also advised the Federal Government to borrow leaf from Anambra ‘s peaceful election ahead of the upcoming general election.