The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that politicians in Ekiti developed several clever means to buy votes in last Saturday’s governorship elections.
It however stated that security agents did well to respond to several issues sent to them during the conduct of the elections.
National Commissioner of INEC and Chair, Legal Services Committee, Mrs May Agbamuche-Mbu, who spoke to journalists in Bénin City, said the commission is taking the issue of vote buying very serious.
Mrs. May stated that the electoral body was already looking at ways to curbing vote buying during elections.
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May however said adequate enlightenment and education of the electorate should be carried out to make them understand on the need to make their counts and not about money.
She said the Osun governorship polls would be smooth because ‘Osun electorates are more sophisticated than Ekiti.’
According to her, “INEC is taking an issue of vote buying very seriously. I am just coming as part of the Supervising National Commissioner for Ekiti and these things occur.
“We are having another conference on electoral offenses. Vote buying is another electoral offence and we are looking at ways to curb it. Politicians keep trying their best. Politicians were clever in Ekiti. They have ingenious ways to sort themselves out. We will go back and review it and see how we can stop vote buying with the best of our ability.
“Security agencies were not involved in the two local governments I supervised. Security agencies did well in Ekiti.
“We have to continue to enlighten and educate our electorate. It is to educate our people for them to realize that their votes count and not all about money.”
