Osun election: INEC moves to combat vote-buying

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it intends to tackle the phenomenon of votebuying during the Osun state gubernatorial election and the 2019 general elections through the re-arrangement of voting cubicles.

Addressing civil society organizations (CSOs) at the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room Dialogue Session in Abuja, INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Osun State, Olusegun Agbaje, said the phenomenon of vote buying is worrisome and embarrassing, which if not solved in Osun State will deal with the country in 2019.

Agbaje said among the introduced mechanism to combat the trend was the decision of INEC to rearrange cubicles during the September 22 election in a way to make it difficult for vote buying and selling.

He said the United States Embassy, the British High Commission and the European Union have all expressed their worries and displeasure with the phenomenon. He therefore called for the provision of a body to arrest and prosecute electoral offenders.

He said the Osun State election would be a record making one in the country with 48 political parties vying for the governorship seat. He added that the present 72% Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) collected in the state was also a record for any major election since the introduction of PVCs in the country.

On INEC’s preparation for the 2019 general elections, the commission’s National Commissioner supervising the Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), Prince Solomon Soyebi said aside the about 10 million uncollected PVCs, additional 14 million registrants have been added to the total registration and they needed to be processed before the 2019 elections. He added that 46 political parties have so far indicated their interests in various elections that will hold in 2019.