Ahead of the Ekiti Governorship election, the Police and National Peace Committee (NPC) have been urged by the civil society organization Adopt A Goal Initiative to embrace and implement the campaign against vote-buying in their electoral activities.
Voter trafficking, according to the group’s statement in Ado Ekiti, signed by its Executive Director, Ariyo-Dare Atoye, is the largest barrier to credible and peaceful elections since the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) implemented electronic results transmission, which has made it more difficult to rig elections.
The CSO did, however, commend Inspector-General of Police Alkali Baba for creating the electoral offenses desk, calling it a tactical move that needs to be implemented, beginning in Ekiti, to prevent election triggers.
“We urge the IGP and the NPC, led by Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, to pay special attention to the electoral disease known as vote-buying ahead of the Ekiti election,” the group stated.
“Vote trading is an invasive disease that threatens the integrity and peaceful conduct of our elections. We must battle and remove it with all of our might.
“The social contract between the people and elected officials had been seriously undermined by the idea of exchanging votes for money, which characterized previous elections.”
Sadly, the crime of purchasing and selling votes has made the voters into a slave to the electoral process and caused immense suffering for the majority of people.
“We implore the Police and Peace Committee to see the problem of vote-buying as a national security danger that needs to be dealt with immediately in order to preserve this democracy.
The statement went on, “Ahead of the 2023 general election, the Ekiti Governorship election offers a veritable opportunity to make a bold statement and enforcement against vote trafficking.”
