Osun election is less than 24-hours away, as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) partners against the issue of vote buying and selling in the Saturday, September 22nd, 2018 election.
The anti-corruption outfit EFCC is partnering INEC to arrest and prosecute those they labeled unrepentant vote buyers and their potential customers that will attempt to repeat what happened in Ekiti in Osun election on Saturday.
According to the INEC chairman who led his team to the office of EFCC Prof. Yakubu, affirmed that INEC was worried about the vote buying and selling phenomenon and had already taken a number of steps to address the menace.
The INEC chairman in the meeting said:
“We are here as part of our consultations with critical agencies that are connected to the electoral process. We have undertaken a number of innovations to strengthen the electoral system and these days, you hear less of ballot box snatching and kidnapping of INEC officials. But as we solve one problem, another one is coming up (Osun election).” He said.
“Of immediate concern is the election (Osun election) we are holding on Saturday (September 22) in Osun State and it is going to be the last major election before the 2019 general elections. We have taken steps as a Commission, but we need the support of the EFCC in this respect. Vote buying and selling is earning a bad reputation for our democracy, for our elections and we thought we should visit national institutions like the EFCC because you have the powers under the law to arrest, to investigate, to prosecute and to help us, so we can stem this ugly tide of vote buying and selling.”
Professor Yakubu worried about the new strategy which was witnessed in Anambra and Ekiti where voters get money transfered into their accounts to influence their voting decision, said:
“We believe that you have both the law and the capacity on your side to help us in this respect”,
” only the votes of the people should determine who wins or loses in an election and not through open inducement using cash at polling units.”
On why they are involving the EFCC who have hitherto promised to invesigate sources of campaign funds by politicians, said:
“as we go into the elections proper in 2019, we also need your support in the area of campaign finance and spending by candidates. The law has prescribed limits as to what candidates can spend in elections but we need the enforcement of these laws. We don’t want the money-bags to determine our democracy. We want the votes of the people to determine who wins in our elections”.
The Acting EFCC chair Magu who also expressed same views, said: “There’s indeed a lot of concern about vote buying and selling. There’s also a lot of concern about the possibility of moneybags trying to derail our democracy and democratic process. We have the mandate to monitor money transfers and we are collaborating with the banks. We have the mandate to arrest, investigate and prosecute and we are going to use the (Osun election) as a test case.”
Magu also assured the INEC Chairman: “We will work with you. We will do our best.” He said.