Ekiti governorship election characterised by vote-buying, malpractices ― IPAC

The Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) has said that the last weekend’s governorship election in Ekiti State witnessed and outrageous vote-buying and sundry electoral malpractices.

IPAC said the election which produced Biodun Oyebanji, the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner also witnessed voter apathy thereby putting the legality of the electoral process in question.

Addressing journalists in Abuja, the IPAC National Chairman, Engr. Yabagi Yusuf Sani said the Council made efforts before the election to educate voters on why they should avoid thuggery, and resist financial inducement from political parties in order to achieve a credible poll.

He said despite all these efforts, there was a high incidence of vote-trading between electorates and political actors in open connivance with some security agents.

“Ahead of the just concluded Ekiti State Governorship election, which took place on Saturday 18th June 2022, IPAC and other numerous stakeholders/volunteers in Ekiti State carried out massive voter education, mobilisation and sensitisation of the electorate and participated in the Peace Accord by candidates and their political parties to ensure a hitch-free poll.

Council was optimistic that with improved technology, particularly the deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), which carried out verification, accreditation and confirmation of eligible voters, the gubernatorial election would be credible, more so, with adequate security agents and operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) at strategic locations in the State.

“Sadly, the election was a day characterized by brazen and outrageous vote-buying, sundry electoral malpractices and voter apathy thereby putting in question the legality of the process leading to the declaration of Biodun Oyebanji, the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner.

“IPAC is deeply saddened and worried about the ugly high incidence of vote-trading between electorates and political actors in open connivance with some security agents saddled with the responsibility of arresting electoral offenders and their sponsors and also prosecuting offenders to serve as a deterrent to others who would contemplate such heinous crimes against the fatherland.

“It is obvious that the voters who sold their ballots for a mess of electoral porridge have inadvertently mortgaged their future for the next four years by electing a leader who may not have necessarily been their choice if the election were to be devoid of obscene use of money to induce voters,” Engr Sani said.

He said this unfortunate vicious circle of electing leaders after inducement has been the bane of the nation’s democracy since Independence in 1960, particularly since the return of democracy in 1999.

“The destinies of millions of fellow compatriots are at stake when the will and mandate of the people is brazenly stolen through vote-buying by political buccaneers masquerading as democrats with a mission to loot our common patrimony.

“Accordingly, IPAC calls on the National Assembly to expedite action on the Electoral Offences Commission and urges President Muhammadu Buhari to assent to it before the 2023 general election.

“The arrest and prosecution of electoral offenders will restore sanity in the nation’s democratic process. Meanwhile, the Police should quickly prosecute those arrested for vote-buying in Ekiti State including Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials and security agents who aided and abetted the crime.

“The ugly Ekiti episode has eroded the value of the hard work by INEC which also has inadvertently affected the perception of the citizens as to the capacity of INEC to conduct and ensure credible election results, hence Council urges the commission to meticulously evaluate its performance in Ekiti with a view to improving in the forthcoming Osun State governorship election. Every vote must count and be counted in the overall result without the inducement of the electorate.

“This is the only way to boost the nation’s electoral process and encourage massive voter turnout in subsequent elections. Nigerians yearn for a new lease of life and dividends of democracy, not carnage as obtainable today across the country,” IPAC National Chairman said.

IPAC however, urged aggrieved candidates and their political parties to approach the Ekiti State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal for redress and never resort to self-help as we collectively consolidate our emerging democracy.

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Bioluwatife Akinyemi