…writes CP
…CSO doubts efficacy of measure
The Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC ), on Tuesday announced its preparation to thwart the buying and selling of votes in the September 22, Osun Governorship election.
A professor from the Department of History and International Studies, Osun State University, Prof. Siyan Oyewesor, had in his lecture titled “Policy Dialogue on Osun Governorship Election: Critical Factors and What INEC should do to ensure successful polls,” at the INEC institute, Abuja, called for a proper check of the menace of vote buying in the election.
The don, who was the lead speaker, recalled that vote buying was reportedly part of the Edo and Ekiti governorship elections.
He called on President Muhammadu Buhari to quickly give his assent to the electoral bill that he reportedly rejected, stressing that the Presidency and National Assembly to iron out the technical grey areas in the bill.
He was of the opinion, that an assent to the bill would make votes count in the country.
Asked how the commission was planning to checkmate the scourge, the Osun State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Olusegun Agbaje told reporters in the dialogue that vote buying had become an embarrassment to the commission.
He however revealed that plans were underway to preposition the cubicles in the polling units to ensure that it is impossible for voters to display their ballot papers for a fee, after casting their votes.
His words: “The commission has made itself clear on this issue that it is an embarrassing situation. And one of the ways that the commission has planned to handle it is that during this Osun State election, all cubicles are going to be repositioned in such a way that it is not going to be easy for the voter after casting to come out and display his ballot paper for people to see.”
Agbaje said that the citizenry must understand that neither vote selling nor buying would aid the nation’s democracy and future. He noted that the commission was already embarking on voters’ education to curb vote buying.
The REC, who said that the Commissioner of Police in the State had been very supportive, noted that he wrote him a later last week, drawing his attention to the flashpoint in the state that were mostly the boundary with other states.
According to him, the commission had been in dialogue to get in touch with the aspirants to always ensure a peaceful atmosphere for the election.
The Executive Director, Partner for Electoral Reforms, Mr. Ezenwa Nwaogu, however, disagreed with the measure for repositioning the cubicles, noting that the votes were always paid for several meters away from the polling units and not in the unit.
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Driving home his point, he recalled that the police that were supposed to keep order at the polling units, aided the selling and buying of votes during the last Edo State governorship election.
In his opening remarks, the chairman Board of the institute, Prof. Okechukwu Ibeanu, said that the dialogue was to provide a platform to discuss and interrogate the issues and challenges relating to the election and proffer suggestions as to what the commission should do to ensure successful polls.
He said that with the support of other stakeholders, INEC would not spare any effort at ensuring the improvement of its service delivery through 2019 and beyond.
He added that “ultimately our goal is a vibrant electoral process, strong electoral governance and institute and a delivery of a free, fair, credible and peaceful election in Nigeria.“