Ekiti Elections: Observer Group Commends INEC ...Kick Against Vote Buying

One of the observer groups that participated in the last Ekiti governorship elections Nigeria Vote Count campaigners have commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for conducting one of the best elections in recent times. The group however kicked against the resort to vote buying by politicians.

The Nigeria Vote Count Campaigners in a press statement signed by its Director of media and Publicity Comrade Nwokoma Messiah said it will be unfair to criticize the electoral body in any way as far as the July 14^th Governorship elections is concerned.

”INEC”S performance in the last election in Ekiti state is commendable. The logistics was good, materials arrived on time just as accreditation and voting. The fact that there was no news of violence occasioned by the connivance of ad hoc staff and a particular political party goes a long way to show how prepared the electoral body was for the elections”

The group also hailed the various security agencies but however observed that they were rather passive while vote buying took place something the group ascribed to the fact that the politicians were in a desperate rat race to outdo each other.

The observer group however decried the resort to vote buying by politicians during the election. It described vote buying as a scourge which must be eliminated from the system. It however absolved INEC from the vote buying allegation stressing that vote buying was beyond the control of INEC. “Vote buying which began from 2014 as stomach infrastructure has metamorphosed to something dangerous for the survival of our democracy. We must eliminate it by putting in place strong legislation that will prevent its re occurrence” the statement added.

While urging the people of Osun state to be vigilant as regards the forthcoming governorship election in the state, the Nigeria Vote Count Campaigners said it will be kick starting a nationwide campaign against vote buying of any kind. “What we need is a well-informed society that will vote based on their convictions and not because their conscience have been bought and their future mortgaged” the statement said.

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