A nation-wide campaign to discourage and educate about vote-buying had been launched by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) as part of efforts to rid the country’s electoral processes of malpractices.
According to the agency: “Vote-buying and selling is corruption; it can take various forms such as collecting payment from candidates before or after voting for them. Such payments are usually made through agents either directly or through phone transfer. This is outright bribery and it is punishable under the Section 6 (a) of the ICPC Act 2000 and the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended)”
The sensitisation campaign which was launched in collaboration with two youth groups namely: Youth Alive Foundation and Ummah Support Initiative, will in the first instance hold in Akwa Ibom, Kano, Lagos and Rivers States. ICPC’s initiative is as a result of its field work conducted during the 2011 elections which birthed recommendation on ways for improving future general elections.
Political analysts have warned that vote-buying is a danger to Nigeria’s democracy and it has been identified as a malpractice that if not checked can undermine the electoral process. Although Article 130 of the Electoral Act, 2010 states clearly that it is against the law, reports that vote-buying has gone on unchecked have been widespread. ICPC’s public declaration and subsequent public enlightenment and voter education initiative is expected to inform about the disadvantages of engaging in such practices and the punishment for offenders.
It is expected that the inter-agency collaborative effort for the general elections will go a step further to ensure that the country has a free, fair and credible election, as well as strengthen the nation’s electoral capacities.