The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has urged Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to focus on the incidence of delegate-buying by aspirants during primary elections as they usually do for vote-buying at the main (secondary) polls conducted by the commission.
INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, who threw the charge at the first regular consultative meeting with CSOs in Abuja on Tuesday, said some delegates openly boasted of how much money they made from aspirants during party primaries.
Yakubu also called on the CSOs to intensify their advocacy to support the practical steps the relevant security and law enforcement agencies took to tackle that diabolical practice (delegate-buying).
“I would like to urge civil society organisations to be as interested in party primaries as you are actively engaged in monitoring secondary elections conducted by INEC. After all, only the candidates nominated by the political parties are placed on the ballot paper for citizens to vote for on election day.
“From your monitoring reports as accredited election observers, you have consistently expressed concern over vote-buying at polling units during elections. Some of you have made actionable recommendations on how to curtail the menace, which has been favourably considered by the commission.
“It is time to cast your net wide by focusing on the incidence of delegate-buying by aspirants during primaries. Some delegates boasted about how much money they had made from aspirants during party primaries. You should intensify your advocacy to support the practical steps the relevant security and law enforcement agencies took to tackle this diabolical practice,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of the CSOs, the executive director of Partners for Electoral Reforms, Ezenwa Nwagwu, said the challenge of the vote and delegate buying could best be tackled through a multi-stakeholder approach.
Nwagwu implored INEC to replicate the level of preparedness for the 2024 Ondo governorship election in the November 8, Anambra gubernatorial polls to ensure a hitch-free and credible exercise.
“The challenge that you have thrown us is a challenge that we will have to approach from a stakeholder perspective. The menace of politicians buying votes at the general election will need the collective efforts of civil societies, security agencies, and the media. We want to implore INEC to, if possible, ensure that the level of preparedness that was done in the Ondo election will be done in Anambra…,” he said.
