2019 Elections: INEC, ICPC, Police Ors Meet To Combat Vote-Buying
By UbongAbasi Ise
Major electoral stakeholders in
Akwa Ibom State who converged in Uyo yesterday have identified vote-buying as
an emerging malpractice that might destroy the credibility of electoral
processes in the next year’s electoral exercise.
The Independent Corrupt Practices
and other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, in conjunction with Youth Alive
Initiative hosted a one-day national campaign against Vote-Buying and other
electoral malpractices with attempt aimed at sensitizing the public on the
implication of selling and buying of votes during elections.
Mr. Don Etukudoh, the Akwa Ibom State public
affairs officer of Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, who
represented the state Residential Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Mike Igini, said
why corrupt political elements resort to vote-buying is because INEC has curtailed misconducts such as snatching of ballot boxes, rigging, and
falsification of result figures .
He said since 2015, INEC has
improved in the handling of elections and the commission is working assiduously
on vote-buying which is a recent menace, and will be fought headlong in the
forthcoming elections.
Igini said few of the measures to
be adopted against vote-buying by INEC including rearranging of polling units
and prohibition of the use of camera phones during voting exercise.
Also speaking, Mr. Eno Uyoh, the
State Director of National Orientation Agency, NOA, who was represented by Dr.
Inemesit Akpan said vote-buying is an evolving malpractice that constitutes 68%
of the entire electoral irregularities in recent times, stressing that it
encourages the elected officials to amass wealth in order to make up for the
cost incurred during the electioneering campaigns.
Pastor Harry Udoh, the
coordinator of Akwa Ibom State Civil Society Organization Forum, while
stressing that it is corrupted electoral system that brought bad governance, said
once votes are sold out, the electorates lose their voice in bringing the
elected officials to account, adding that there must be a collective resolve
that will help make the will of the people to count.
Speaking at the forum, the Akwa Ibom State Commissioner of
Police, CP Musa Kimo, represented by ACP Gabriel Akoh, lauded the organizers
for bringing up the Sensitization campaign against vote buying and other
related offence at the time the country is preparing for the general elections.
The Police Commissioner promised that the Akwa Ibom State Command
of Nigerian Police Force will work in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s
agenda of achieving free, fair, credible and transparent election.
“The president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu
Buhari, has in various fora: local and international, expressed his commitment
to a free, fair, credible and transparent election in Nigeria, and we all have
a responsibility to support the President in actualizing this commitment, and
the only way to do it is to play our role to the best of our ability to ensure
that election in 2019 is free fair credible and acceptable to the international
standard.
“On our part, the Nigerian police, as the key agency in
internal security, we will be working hand in hand with sister security
agencies , the INEC, and relevant stakeholders to ensure that we actualize the
commitment of Mr. President.
“To this end, we are committed to sustain the existing peace
and security in Akwa Ibom State before, during and after the election,” he
said.
Kimo further announced that peace has been restored in Etim
Ekpo and Ukanafun local government areas as the residents have returned to the hitherto
affected areas.
The Special Assistant to the Akwa Ibom State Governor on
Political, Legislative and Water Resources, Pastor Sunny Ibuot, said the state
is experiencing unprecedented peace under the administration of Governor Udom
Emmanuel who is a governor that would not encourage electoral misconducts.
“ We all know that under the watch of His Excellency, Akwa Ibom has become more
peaceful than what it used to be, and we thank God that this is radiating from
the leader of the state who is not encouraging cultism and other vices, he is not encouraging people to be
thugs in the election,” he said.
©The Sensor Newspaper
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