The Coalition Against Vote Buying (CAVB), a civil society organisation, has condemned the widespread cases of vote buying and alleged cases of bribery of INEC officials and security agencies by political actors based on reports concerning the elections.
In a statement in Benin City on Sunday, the convener of the coalition, Douglas Ogbankwa said: “The Coalition Against Vote Buying (CAMB) condemns the resort to vote buying for the purpose of getting favourable votes at the Ekiti governorship elections held on Saturday 18th of June, 2022 and we call on the prosecution of both the vote buyers and those who are bought, as they are culpable in this electoral crime, which is criminalised by our jurisprudence.
“The coalition also finds it ironic, that the security agencies and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials that are constitutionally imbued with the powers to forestall the referenced vote buying are themselves allegedly bought as there are allegations that they were bribed by political actors, in order to turn a blind eye.
“The coalition reminds voters that if political actors give them N10,000, for an election, they should count 365 days and multiply the 4 (4 years tenure) and divide the outcome by N10,000, the result is how much each of them is worth as a human being for the next 4 years every day and they have no moral justification to complain should they steal their Commonwealth, as they have sold their next 4 years to thieves.
“They are then not victims, but an accomplice. Our slogan therefore is: You can buy the delegates, but you cannot buy me,” the statement read.
Stay ahead with the latest updates! Join The ConclaveNG on WhatsApp and Telegram for real-time news alerts, breaking stories, and exclusive content delivered straight to your phone. Don’t miss a headline — subscribe now!
