the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) said it is partnering with the Commission of Economic and Financial Crimes(EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission (ICPC) to deal with buyers and sellers of votes at voting units in Saturday’s gubernatorial election in Ekiti state.
Commission Chairman Mahmood Yakubu, while addressing stakeholders in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State, on Tuesday, highlighted the evils of vote buying and said the commission was preparing to mitigate its effect during the election. .
“We are not unaware that vote buying is a destroyer of the electoral process,” Mr. Yakubu said.
“To show how determined we are to stop this threat, we have changed the configuration of the ballot boxes in all voting units to prevent vote buying.
“We are also partnering with ICPC and EFCC operatives to deploy their men and deal with vote buyers and sellers in accordance with the law.”
On security, Police Inspector General Usman Alkali said the massive security deployment for the Ekiti gubernatorial election is not to scare or intimidate voters on election day.
It had previously announced that 17,374 police officers had been mobilized for the gubernatorial election on Saturday.
The figure is much higher than the one displayed in the 2018 elections.
Some 10,000 police officers were deployed to cover the Ekiti gubernatorial elections in 2018, in addition to 7,500 men from the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC).
While addressing stakeholders at Ado Ekiti on Tuesday, Alkali said the 17,374 staff members for Saturday’s assignment are separate from operatives from the National Security and Civil Defense Corps and other security agencies.
He said the increased display was to protect the sanctity of the ballots and make the election result credible and acceptable to all stakeholders.
The IGP said that no person with ulterior motives would be allowed to vitiate the election result through violence, vote-buying and other actions that could tarnish the poll’s credibility.
He warned his men against professional misconduct that could spoil the results of the election or disrupt the process.
Mr. Alkali also assured voters that adequate security personnel were on the ground to prevent any security threats that might prevent them from exercising their franchise rights during the vote.
“All 177 precincts and 2,445 voting units will have adequate manpower. Let me say this, the mass deployment is not to scare the citizens, but to protect the sanctity of the ballots and the provisions of the Electoral Law,” he said.
“Those who want to become a gear in the will to progress will face the consequences of their actions. National security must be a priority and foremost in our minds. Let us conduct this election in the most civil manner.
“All parties must embrace the virtues of democracy. We will not allow any person or group of people to disrupt this election no matter how high up they are. Let all contenders provide the moral leadership so we can achieve success together.”
Speaking further, Mr. Yakubu called on the participants to avoid violence and allow the people’s votes to count.
He assured stakeholders that the commission would maintain and protect the transparency and security of the process.
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“Let me assure the voters and political parties that the task of electing a new governor will rest with the voters of Ekiti,” Yakubu said.
“We will not take any action that puts any party or candidate in an advantageous position. We are going to do everything in accordance with the constitution and provisions of the Electoral Law.”
He noted that four National Commissioners and eight Resident Electoral Commissioners had been deployed to ensure a credible election was held, adding that a total of 749,065 voters representing 76 percent had collected their Permanent Voter Cards (PVC).
“To underscore how prepared we are, we have provided magnifying glasses and braille ballots for visually impaired citizens, while the Bimodal Voter Authentication System (BVAS) Machines will be used for accreditation.”
Meanwhile, Ekiti State Resident Election Commissioner Adeniran Tella said pregnant women, people with disabilities and the elderly will be given priority to vote on election day.
Mr. Tella added that safeguard protocols relevant to the COVID-19 pandemic will be applied at polling stations, to prevent the spread of the disease.