No Swipe Zone: INEC To Penalize Political Agents For Bringing POS Machines To Polling Stations

EKO HOT BLOG reports that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that political party agents or anyone affiliated with political parties are banned from bringing Point of Sale (POS) machines to polling units across Anambra State.

This is one of the measures taken by the commission to curb vote buying and ensure a free and fair House of Assembly election in the state.

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The Anambra State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr Elizabeth Agwu, made this known during a press briefing held on Friday. She disclosed that the commission will not tolerate any form of vote buying or inducement, stating that materials capable of being used to induce voters, including POS machines, are banned from polling centres.

During the previous presidential election, there were allegations of people using POS machines to transfer money to voters as a way to beat the cashless policy of the federal government. Some political parties also reportedly deployed bales of wrappers, cartons of noodles, and other food items to induce voters.

Agwu stated that the commission is fully prepared for the election and has moved all election materials to all parts of the state. She added that the ballot papers meant for the State Assembly elections have been distributed systematically to avoid a mix-up.

“We have sorted out all issues concerning the Biometric Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) for the election, and we hope for optimal performance,” she said.

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Agwu also assured the public that voting is expected to commence across the polling units in the state by 8:30 am on Saturday. She emphasized that the commission is committed to ensuring that the election is free, fair, and credible, with no room for vote buying or any other form of electoral malpractice.