By Yemi Adedeji, Abuja
Following criticisms that trailed the July 14 gubernatorial election in Ekiti State over allegations of vote buying, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), said it would partner with the security agencies to ensure effective enforcement of the law, aimed at curbing the trend ahead of Osun State governorship election in September.
The electoral body stated categorically that vote buying is an abuse of the electoral process and an infringement of Section 124 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended), and it is unacceptable.
Rotimi Oyekanmi, INEC Chief Press Secretary, made this known in Abuja while responding to inquiries by Elendu Reports.
He also revealed that the Commission has already re-examined the administration of its polling units in the state in order to make it difficult for a voter to expose the ballot paper in the voting cubicles in such a way that someone somewhere would see who the voter has voted for.
Oyekanmi said: “Vote buying or whatever name it is called is an abuse of the electoral process and an infringement of Section 124 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended). It is unacceptable.
“Going forward, the Commission will partner with the security agencies to ensure effective enforcement of the law. But INEC will also engage with all stakeholders to find a solution to the problem and how we can use Voter Education messages to encourage citizens to resist this type of temptation,” he added.
Oyekanmi also stressed that the Commission is also looking at various options of folding the thumb-printed ballot papers in the voting cubicles before casting them into the ballot box.
“The Commission has already re-examined the administration of its Polling Units. The purpose is to make it difficult for a voter to expose the ballot paper in the voting cubicles in such a way that someone somewhere will see who the voter has voted for.”
He said that while INEC cannot stop voters from taking their phones to the Polling Units or Voting Points, he said the use to which the phones are put to use can be regulated in as far as it affects the electoral law, stressing, “but that decision has not been taken.”
He said that the Commission is preparing very hard for the 2019 general elections, and a number of elections that would be conducted before then, adding that all the by-elections would be conducted on August 11, 2018.
The by- elections coming up on Thursday 19th July to fill four vacancies include; Katsina North and Bauchi South Senatorial districts; Lokoja/Kogi/Koton Karfe Federal Constituencies in Kogi state and the Obudu State Constituency in Cross Rivers state.