No going back On War against vote buying, says INEC Boss

The chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has said that despite the facts that recent initiatives of the electoral body particularly war against vote buying has not gone down well with people who may not be committed to the growth of the electoral system and the consolidation of democracy, there’s no going back.

Prof. Yakubu, who stated this while delivering his address at a one-day stakeholders summit on addressing the influence of money in the 2023 general election, said the pernicious use of money tremendously increases the likelihood of election violence due to a “win at all costs” mentality among contestants who would have invested a fortune in election.

While saying that the Commission was ready for the both covert and overt pressure, countervailing actions and even threats by these vested interests, he urged citizens to reject inducements to sway their votes through vote buying.

The INEC chairman said, “I would like to first of all welcome you all to this Summit and on behalf of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) appreciate you for your presence. I am aware of the competing demands on your time as we approach the end of the year. We do not take such support for granted. We are gathered here today to address a matter of serious concern to most Nigerians. The negative role of money in elections goes to the very heart of our democracy.

“It destroys the very basis of democratic elections which is that citizens should freely choose those who exercise power on their behalf. It renders the emergence of the right candidates for positions extremely difficult, undermines fair electoral adjudication, and destroys the professional and independent conduct of INEC officials and other public agencies involved in elections. Even more worrisome is the high prospect that criminal money may find its way into our elections through money laundering.

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