In order to reduce vote buying during elections in the nation, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has stated that it is collaborating with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
During a farewell program/media briefing yesterday in Ibadan, Oyo state Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Barr Mutiu Agboke, acknowledged that vote-buying is a significant headache for INEC. He warned politicians to refrain from the act in future elections and said anyone arrested for buying votes during elections would be prosecuted.
Agboke promised that INEC will ensure transparent, credible, free and fair general elections in 2023.
He also appealed to security agencies and the political class to continue to join hands with it to tackle the menace of vote-buying in the country.
Urging residents of the state to collect their Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) which he said are key to the participation of any voter in the upcoming election, he noted that “the current voting system is such that without a PVC, no electorate shall be allowed to vote under any condition.”
Agboke also revealed that “INEC has phased out the use of Smart Card Readers and Incident forms.”
