INEC Chairman Yakubu: votes now coun | Nairalaw

Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman Prof.
Mahmood Yakubu yesterday insisted that with the nation’s electoral
reforms in the last nine years, votes now count.

According to him, politicians were becoming desperate to engage
in malpractices because of their frustration by the new order.

He, however, urged the government to prosecute sponsors of vote
buying and selling and their agents, saying that vote buying and
selling should be treated as criminal offences that should be
punished.

Yakubu spoke in Keffi, Nasarawa State at the “Anti-corruption
policy dialogue on eradicating electoral corruption: Focus on vote
buying”, which was organised by the Independent Corrupt Practices
and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

The INEC boss, whose address was read by a National Commissioner
in-charge of Information and Voter Education, Festus Okoye said:
“You can see that our elections are getting better and the
politicians are getting more desperate. And these accounts for some
of the challenges we have.

“It is evident that the innovations and improvements in our
electoral processes since 2010 have somehow put a check on ballot
box snatching, ballot box stuffing, multiple voting, or
falsification of results, diversion of election materials, hijack
of election personnel, falsification of election results and
violations of the electoral laws have become considerably
addressed.

“As votes start to count, as the election are determined solely
by the electoral votes, politicians now go directly to the polling
units to induce the voters. And I say that the votes are beginning
to count.”

“Voter inducement before and after voting is manifested in two
ways first is attempts by politicians and their agents to determine
the choice of voters by offering them monetary or material rewards.
Second is the attempt by prospective voters to demand such
gratification in order to vote.”

Yakubu added: “INEC is concerned about the impact of vote buying
and vote selling on our democracy. Vote buying and selling is an
illegal act. Sponsors of vote buying and selling must be brought to
book and not only those that are given instructions to do so.

“In response to these challenges, INEC has adopted the following
measures: changing and enhancing the secrecy of votes through
polling unit management and locating the voting unit boxes outside
for the view of party agents and the voters.”

On the laws to apply on offenders, he said: “The provisions of
sections 124, 125 and 129, 1 and 130 of the Electoral Acts 2010 as
amended provide us with clear indications of the illegality of vote
buying and selling. “While section 124 stipulates offences relating
to bribery and conspiracy, section 125 reinforces the requirements
of secrecy in voting. Section 124 subsections 18 (d) and 13(a)
simply spelt out what constitutes electoral offences and undue
influence with specific reference to vote buying and selling. The
punishments for contravening these provisions as stipulated in
sections 129 and 130 respectively.

“Beyond the provisions of the Electoral Act legal provisions due
to bribery and corruption particularly the enabling Act of the
ICPC. EFCC and FIRS, as well as the administration of justice Act
makes voters’ inducement and vote buying a criminal act.”

He said the dialogue should be the beginning of concerted
efforts towards democratic consolidation.

The INEC chair said: “You will recall that in my speech during
the presentation of the certificate of return to the
President-elect and the vice president-elect on the February 27,
2019, I emphasized the need for a national dialogue on various
aspect of our electoral democracy.

“Indeed, such a dialogue is required to nurture and sustain our
democracy. And it is my hope that this dialogue will be the
beginning of concerted efforts towards democratic consolidation in
our dear country.”

He, however, expressed regrets that vote inducement has become a
global phenomenon.

Yakubu said: “The use of inducement to gather votes is an old
and recurring practice across the world. Such inducements which are
often deployed to influence voters on how they vote range from
money to material goods and defers from one country to another.
Items such as vehicle parts, chairs, wrist watches, textile
materials, shirts, buckets, cements, rice, and cooking oil are used
for inducement.

“Medications and mobile phones have become ready currencies in
the transactional relationships that have developed between the
voters and the political class.

“In recent times, the use of money to induce voters or to buy
votes especially within the vicinity of polling units has come
under intense public scrutiny.

“Agents of political parties now stand at strategic locations
around our pulling units to see which party a voter has voted for
either directly or through a picture of the marked ballot paper as
evidence for payment.”

The INEC boss noted that investigations show various that the
use of inducement as a strategy of vote mobilisation is a global
phenomenon.

For example, 15 per cent of voters’ survey across Latin American
from 2010 to 2012 and 16 per cent of voters in 33 African countries
in 2016, acknowledged been offered money or some material goods in
exchange for their votes.

He said: “Here in Nigeria, 69 per cent of respondents
acknowledged receiving money or items such as rice, Maggie cubes,
shirts, plastic buckets and textile materials in exchange for their
votes in two governorship elections in 2014 and 2015.”

“Indeed, in one of the governorship elections and other
subsequent elections, such practices were referred to as stomach
infrastructure. It has now become famous terminology in our
political vocabulary. The way at which this act has undertaken has
turned our polling unites into trading centers and market places
for buying and selling of votes.”

Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss
Mustapha said: “It is disheartening to know that vote buying and
other forms of electoral corruption and violence in the last
elections have cast doubts on the credibility and integrity of the
country’s electioneering process.”

The SGF, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, General
Services, Office of the SGF, Mr. Olusegun Adekunle said: “Hate
speeches too, have become a tool for opponents to attack each other
because of conflicting situation.

“I feel very elated with the organisation of this dialogue
because it is at fora like this that we are able to have useful
engagements needed to build the consensus that is necessary for
developing national and multi-stakeholder response required to
tackle challenges like the vote buying phenomenon.

“The Buhari Administration in 2017 approved and adopted the
National Anti-Corruption Strategy (2017-2021) to strengthen the
electoral process across the Federal, State and Local Government
Levels to engender public confidence. The ultimate aim is to create
a more credible electoral culture.”

The ICPC Chairman, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, disclosed that in the
next few years, the commission will be combining aggressive
enforcement and prevention measures, with developing knowledge
driven policies that would guide the long-term sustainability of
the war against corruption in the country, including political
corruption and vote buying.

He said: “The lCPC looks forward to collaboration with INEC to
intensify enforcement of provisions of the Electoral Act dealing
with electoral offences. Only collaboration with INEC can remove
the legal hamstring such as is found in section 149 and 150 of the
Electoral Act.”

The Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, who was represented by his
Secretary, Olukayode Olanipekun, vows to always work with security
operatives and the ICPC in the battle to stamp out vote buying and
selling.