The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has enlisted the support of anti-corruption agencies to curb vote buying and selling ahead of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections scheduled for Saturday.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN), disclosed this at a stakeholders’ meeting on the forthcoming polls, expressing concern over the growing menace of vote trading.
He said the commission had given an express mandate to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to deploy personnel to polling units to monitor and deter electoral malpractice.
“There is, however, one issue that must be addressed directly, and that is vote trading or vote buying. The commission has given an express mandate to the EFCC and ICPC to deploy their personnel to polling units,” Amupitan stated.
He also reiterated INEC’s commitment to transparency and inclusiveness, noting that 89 domestic and foreign observer groups had been accredited to monitor the election. Additionally, 700 journalists representing 72 media organisations were accredited to cover the process.
Meanwhile, INEC clarified reports suggesting that the chairman had confirmed “real-time” transmission of results for the February 21 polls.
In a statement, the Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser to the INEC Chairman, Adedayo Oketola, said at no point during the chairman’s inspection of three Area Councils did he use the phrase “real-time” transmission.
He described such claims as a misrepresentation of the chairman’s technical explanation of the commission’s processes.
“The use of ‘real-time’ implies a simultaneous or live feed of votes as they are cast, which is not the procedure provided for in the legal framework,” Oketola explained.
He assured that INEC remains fully committed to conducting a transparent, technology-driven election in the FCT
