It is not our duty to stop vote-buying – INEC Commissioner

It is not our duty to stop vote-buying – INEC Commissioner

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)  has said that it is not its duty to stop vote-buying.

INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner in Osun State, Prof Abdulganiy Raji who made the disclosure during an interview on Thursday reacted to reports of vote-buying and selling marring Ekiti governorship election which was held last month.

Raji noted that though the act is a criminal offence,  INEC is not a security agency that can actually make arrests.

He said, “As far as vote-buying is concerned, let me tell you that INEC can not prevent vote-buying. We can only make efforts to ensure that people are discouraged from doing it through voter education and sensitisation which we have been doing extensively.

“Vote-buying and selling is a criminal offence and INEC is not a security agency that can actually make arrests. We can only inform the security agents when it [vote-buying] is taking place. Then, they (the perpetrators) will be arrested and prosecution will take place where we will be joined.

“I am always surprised when people are talking about vote-buying and selling and they expect INEC to be able to stop it, an act that has nothing to do with the mandate of the management of an election.

“The people that are involved in vote-buying and selling are actually those that should be addressed.”

He also stated that INEC would work with other critical stakeholders to curb the menace of vote-buying in Nigeria’s elections.