Ekiti: Security agencies must prosecute vote sellers, buyers ― Peace Committee

As for deterrence ahead Osun state governorship elections, the National Peace Committee has tasked security agencies to ensure the prosecution of alleged culprits of votes buying in the weekend governorship election in Ekiti State.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission apprehended some suspects in Ado -Ekiti, the state capital who were alleged to be giving money to voters in certain polling booths.

The Chairman of the National Peace Committee, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, in a statement in Abuja, frowned at the act of vote-buying which he noted was inimical to democratic tenets. He however demanded that the security agencies should also beam searchlights on those who sell their votes.

“We strongly decry the incidence of vote-buying recorded during the elections and urge the security agencies to ensure that investigations are conducted, that all perpetrators of these anti-democratic acts are prosecuted and brought to justice with the provisions in the electoral law.

“The practice of vote-buying undermines the values which underpin our democratic life. It reduces the privileged selection of those who steward our commonwealth through our electoral processes, as being transactional. We must hold to account all who would muddy the springs from which we as a people seek to drink from collectively by such actions of bribery, both the giver and receiver.”

The General Abubakar-led NPC however congratulated the electorate in Ekiti State for peaceful conduct and the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC for making provisions for adequate logistics.

“We want to particularly thank the people of Ekiti for the turnout recorded during the election, despite recent increasing levels of insecurity.

Your commitment to fulfilling your civic responsibilities by casting your votes in a peaceful and orderly manner sets an example for your compatriots in the upcoming Osun State Governorship Election and Nigeria as we move towards the General Elections in 2023.

“While the elections were not devoid of hitches, we commend the efforts of all stakeholders who have tirelessly worked either as ombudsmen or observers or participants to ensure that the elections were conducted according to the rules.

These include the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies for facilitating an electoral process, where people were not disenfranchised because of their party affiliation, gender, religious or ethnic affiliations and/or disability.

The Media, Civil Society Organisations, and international development partners for their tireless efforts in monitoring and reporting on the process in a transparent and unbiased manner.

We commend the political parties and their respective candidates for yielding to the call for a peaceful election in Ekiti State by respecting the provisions of the Electoral Act as well as cooperating with the various Institutions of state saddled with their implementation.”

The National Peace Committee, while congratulating the governor-elect, Biodun Oyebanji admonished him to be magnanimous in victory by integrating all in the governance process.

The team also advised him not to disappoint those who entrusted trust in him and voted for him overwhelmingly.

“We call on him and his political party to eschew triumphalism that may make peace-building quite difficult after what at sometimes was a fractiously fought election because the values and goals of democratic governance are not a zero-sum game, but the continued development of an egalitarian society.

In the same way, we urge those who may be disappointed by the outcome of the exercise, to use the available constitutional channels to express their grievances, ensuring that the rule of law dictates our collective actions as a people.”

YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE

Revealed! Details Of South-West APC Leaders Meeting With Presidential Aspirants

MORE revelations have emerged about Friday’s meeting held by South-West leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) with aspirants from the zone, whose main objective, was on how to avert a crisis that will create a fractured party as it prepares for primary on May 30 and 31, Sunday Tribune has reliably gathered…

Ekiti: Security agencies must prosecute vote sellers, buyers ― Peace Committee