One of NGOs that monitored the just concluded elections in Ondo State, YIAGA Africa has identified the menace of vote buying as one of the factors that influenced the outcome of the polls.
The above position was contained in the statement signed by the Co-Chairs of YIAGA Africa, Mr. Ezenwa Nwagwu and Dr. Aisha Abdullahi and made available to PMParrot during a press parley held after the election.
According to the statement released, “YIAGA Africa was of the view that Nigerian elections have been signposted with practices that compromise the freedom of choice and undermine political legitimacy.
“It noted with great concern and worry that the menace of vote buying and the impunity exhibited by major political actors in procuring votes with huge amounts of cash during the Ondo Governorship election has actually influenced the final results as officially announced by the INEC”.
YIAGA Africa maintained in its report immediately after a winner was announced that, across several polling units, the secrecy of the ballot was severely compromised despite attempts by polling officials to prevent voter’s and party agents from showing how ballot papers were marked.
YIAGA Africa noted with dismay how, on the election day, votes were traded between N1,000 and N7,000 at the polling units, and how the Ondo Voter’s gave in to the highest bidder and spender.
YIAGA Africa also noted that the massive vote buying employed by the political actors in the election made it difficult for voter’s to freely cast their ballots in the polling units. YIAGA however noted with regret that the Ondo elections were actually flawed and defined by the actions of the highest bidder and spender.
YIAGA, however, called on INEC to undertake reforms to protect the secrecy of the ballots in the future elections.
“It is important to note that vote buying is a governance challenge that diminishes the human dignity and questions the legitimacy of the electoral outcomes. Addressing this menace requires a multi-pronged approach that fosters and improved public governance, and abolishes a do or die politics and strengthens mechanisms of accountability”.
YIAGA Africa also used the opportunity to commend the National Peace Committee (NPC) for responding to the call by stakeholders’ on the threat of violence as reflected in the YIAGA Africa’s pre-election observation report.
Packaged By Emmanuel Adeniran
