Mahmood INEC Chairman
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has emphasized that it should not be held responsible for the vote-buying incidents that occurred during the Edo State governorship election on September 21, 2024.
Rotimi Oyekanmi, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, addressed the issue in an interview with The PUNCH on Sunday.
He stated that vote-buying is a pervasive problem linked to the actions of political parties rather than the electoral body itself.
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EKO HOT BLOG reports that Oyekanmi remarked, “Vote-buying and alleged result manipulation are tied to unscrupulous attempts to gain an unmerited advantage for electoral victory.”
He stressed, “INEC cannot and should not be held accountable for vote-buying. We are committed to fulfilling our responsibilities to the best of our ability,” urging other stakeholders to contribute positively instead of undermining the electoral process.
INEC officially declared Monday Okpebholo, the candidate from the All Progressives Congress (APC), as the winner of the election with 291,667 votes.
He defeated Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who received 247,274 votes. However, the election was marred by serious allegations of voter manipulation, vote-buying, and other irregularities.
Election observers, including civil society organizations, voiced strong condemnation of the process, with some rejecting the results in specific local government areas.
Samson Itodo, Executive Director of Yiaga Africa, a civil society organization, reported that political parties were bribing voters with amounts ranging from N5,000 to N10,000. He asserted, “All the major political parties were involved in vote-buying.”
PDP candidate Asue Ighodalo accused the APC of offering N10,000 to N20,000 to voters, alleging that INEC permitted the APC to manipulate the election. Labour Party candidate Olumide Akpata also criticized the rampant voter apathy and vote-buying during the election.
Vote Buying Edo Election INEC
In response to these allegations, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) made several arrests related to vote-buying, including two men and one woman. Oyekanmi defended INEC, highlighting the commission’s ongoing efforts to enhance the credibility of elections.
He noted that INEC has consistently implemented recommendations from both national and international observers.
“We have fought vigorously to ensure election credibility,” he stated. “The commission deserves commendation for its efforts.
Managing the electoral system in this country is extremely challenging. The responsibility now lies with political actors and voters to collaborate with INEC to combat the issue of vote-buying,” he added.
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