AS preparations for the 2019 general elections reached its peak, electorates in communities of two Local Government areas of Bauchi State have vowed to resist vote buying and any form of inducement during the conduct of the exercise in the State.
The communities also warned politicians against arming youths with drugs and dangerous weapons to disrupt the elections observing that these are some of the moves by desperate politicians to be in power at all cost.
They made their stand known at a two-day Political Party Candidates, Civil Societies and Community Dialogue held in Alkaleri and Dass Local Government areas of Bauchi State organized by a Non-Governmental Organization, Young Leaders Network (YLN) and sponsored by Young Leaders Network and supported by National Endowment for Democracy (NED).
The Young Leaders Network (YLN) is a Non-Governmental Organization out to create and strengthen youth engagement platforms to participate effectively in building a democratic culture in Northern Nigeria, and advocate for justice, youth and women inclusion in governance.
Chairman of a coalition of Civil Society Youth Groups set up during the dialogue in Alkaleri LGA, Umaru Wakili, said they were worried by the negative effects of vote buying denying the involvement of traditional leaders in election rigging, especially through vote buying.
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He said, “On the issues of vote buying, these politicians only deceive the people with peanuts. And I want the people to know that when they give their votes or PVCs in exchange for money, whichever amount it is, they are selling their future for four years.”
“We, the elders that they look down on with our families are the ones that have the voting power because we have PVCs, these youth they give money to do not always vote. We will not allow this to continue, we must put an end to this vote buying because we are worried. We will ensure that we vote for only qualified people who, we are sure will work for us, in all the elective positions,” he said.
He warned politicians to stop giving money to induce voters saying that it is a bad development for our democracy saying, “As Chairman of this Coalition, I have directed all my members from the three Districts we have, to go back and enlighten the electorates in their communities on the dangers of vote buying and the need for them to only vote for qualified individuals and not those who give them money.”
While speaking on election violence during the dialogue in Dass LGA, Samaila Bundot, Chairman, Dass Youth Progressive Forum, attributed violence during elections to illiteracy from the youth.
He said that “there is also greed from the aspirants and candidates seeking for various political offices because they are the people who initiate the youth into drugs. These youth, the moment they are high, do not see anybody, even if he is their father, with respect and dignity. They can talk to anybody the way they want and abuse whoever they want to.”
He called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deploy election materials to the wards and Polling Units on time to avoid the people becoming violent.
Samaila Bundot alleged that politicians, especially those in the ruling party, usually connive with INEC so that they don’t deploy election materials on time, “until people are tired and get angry and leave the Polling Unit because they have been ill-treated.”
He added that “Even when they come late, the ballot papers they usually bring won’t be up to the registered eligible voters in that Polling Unit. They will now use the remaining ballot papers and thumbprint for a particular candidate to get more votes, these will end up annoying the people who may become violent.”
The Programme Officer, YLN, Adebukola Idris, in an interview said the forum was aimed at bringing together those seeking political offices to dialogue with the electorates so that they can be fully involved in the electoral process.
She said: “The forum brought together community leaders, youth and women groups to dialogue with the candidates of various positions across party lines, to tell them their major areas of need so that when they win, they can deliver the dividends of democracy that will better their lives.
“To ensure that this is solidified, pledge cards which we prepared, were signed by all the candidates here in the presence of the electorates signifying their readiness to abide by what they (electorates) have discussed with them,” she added.
Insha’allah
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