Edo 2024: CTA Suggests Security Authorities Should Hold Party Officials Accountable For Vote-Buying

Edo 2024: CTA Suggests Security Authorities Should Hold Party Officials Accountable For  Vote-Buying

 ... Laments How Their Observers Were Harassed By Some Police Personnel

Iduozee Efe Paul, Benin 

The Centre For Transparency Advocacy (CTA), has warned political parties, as matter of urgency should at all times mobilize voters instead of waiting to buy votes on election day, this the body said could also reduce voter apathy, as witnessed in these elections.

Addressing Journalists in Benin city,  in a press conference, the Executive Director of CTA, Faith Nwadishi, after their findings and observations in the field, strongly condemned vote buying and selling.

She buttressed that,  INEC, security agencies, Nigerians, and other interested parties must devise strategies to deal with this unpleasant occurrence.

 Nwadishi equally suggested that, it is imperative for political parties to acknowledge that incentivizing vote buying is illegal, that security authorities should hold party officials accountable for the vote-buying actions of their agents.

She said,"We call on the leadership of Security agencies to train their personnel on the role and importance of election observers.

" Even when poll observers are properly identified, they are frequently harassed by security personnel while performing their duties or even while traveling to their duty posts. 

"This incident was seen in Benin along Sapele Road, as well as at a few other locations in the states.Voter Turnout/ Conduct of Voters overall, poor voter turnout was reported by our observers.

" Raised fears of insecurity, "dashed expectations from the 2023 Presidential Election result", inadequate voter education, and the heavy downpour in the state were all connected to the indifference among voters. We call on the political parties and INEC to enhance voter education. 

"It is necessary to educate voters about the significance of elections.  Nonetheless, CTA applauds voters for their peaceful and orderly conduct throughout the election, many of whom came out despite the heavy downpour performance of BVAS/Conduct of INEC Officials according to field reports, BVAS operated flawlessly in the state."

Extolling INEC for their performance, she posited," Voters typically were accredited within two minutes.With regards to INEC officials conduct, the CTA is pleased with the performance of the electoral officials throughout the election. 

"Poll workers demonstrated professionalism and a thorough understanding of their responsibilities in the majority of voting places that our observers visited. 

"The use of inexperienced ad hoc workers is the reason behind the flaws found in past elections. We urge INEC to make sure that, for future elections, only properly trained ad hoc employees are used.

"Vote Buying and Selling and Other Malpractice. In our elections, vote buying is fast becoming a norm that involves majority of political parties and their operatives. In the Edo Gubernatorial election, it was not any different. 

"According to our observers, vote buying and selling were rampant, with the main parties using inventive vote-buying plans and strategies to elude law enforcement. 

"Clear examples of vote buying were observed in Ward 6, Unit 7, Ikpoba Okha Local Government where a party was arrested by EFCC operatives with a cache of cash meant for vote buying. 

"Also, in Ward 1, Unit 5, Esan North-East Local Government, a party loyalist was recorded to have publicly announced the payment of N20,000 to any voter who votes for his party’s candidates," CTA groaned.

 

According to her, "Our observers were harassed by some Police personnel on their way to polling units. We call on the leadership of Security agencies to train their personnel on the role and importance of election observers.

 "Even when poll observers are properly identified, they are frequently harassed by security personnel while performing their duties or even while traveling to their duty posts" . This incident was seen in Benin along Sapele Road, as well as at a few other locations in the states". She noted.

The Executive Director of CTA said poor voter turnout was reported by their observers which raised fears of insecurity, dashed expectations from the 2023 Presidential Election result, inadequate voter education, and the heavy downpour in the state were all connected to the indifference among voters. 

The CTA Executive Director explained that the use of inexperienced ad hoc workers is the reason behind the flaws found in past elections and therefore urged INEC to make sure that, for future elections, only properly trained ad hoc employees are used.

 Nwadishi said that, despite the Resident Electoral Commissioner’s engagement with Organizations of Persons with Disabilities last week Thursday 12th September, they noticed most of the polling centers were not disability friendly in terms of accessibility. 

She explained that they also noticed the absence of sign language interpreters for the deaf in most of the centres visited.

The body therefore Recommended the following: that  Vote trading (buying and selling) is constantly diminishing the small progress in the election process, INEC, the Security Agencies, and other relevant parties must devise effective strategies to combat this unwholesome occurrence.

" INEC must continue to show transparency in the electoral process. INEC should retain the logistical strategies that worked well during these elections, especially the early deployment of materials 24 hours prior to election date in hard-to-reach areas.  

"There is also the need for INEC to increase the recruitment of PWDs, Sign language interpreters and also to carry out proper delimitation of polling units so as to evenly distribute PWDs to disability friendly polling units.

 Others are; "Citizens are enjoined to take advantage of the newly created polling units and transfer to vote in less congested polling units in future elections.  

" That political parties should tutor their agents on proper conduct at polling units and collation centres. Equally, they should be abreast of INEC Election Guidelines and the Electoral Act.

"Political parties should at all times mobilize voters instead of waiting to buy votes on election day. This could also reduce voter apathy as witnessed in these elections."