An obstacle INEC may not remove
Vote buying and vote selling is an obstacle INEC may not remove. The Independent National Electoral Commission is doing all it can within its power to ensure that the general elections are free and fair and definitely credible.
The electoral umpire has introduced new technologies to combat all form of issues or irregularities that can hamper the exercise. The Commission has introduced the much taunted Bimodal Voter Accreditation System which is simply known as BIVAS into the exercise.
This particular machine will accredit voters and it will ensure there is no over voting. It will hitherto stop ballot box snatching and stuffing with papers. That is the objective of introduction of BIVAS. But how does INEC intend to curb electoral transactions?
The Independent National Electoral Commission used the machine in Ekiti and Osun State elections. They were effective, but the issue of vote buying and selling was still rampant. Voters sold their votes with reckless abandon.
They did it without minding camera or the presence of security agencies and international observers who came to monitor compliance. They collected money ranging from N1,000 to N3,500. It all depends on the party and the negotiation of the voters.
The political parties (all of them are culpable) induced the people with cash. And poverty is a demon: it pushed the voters to collect the money and vote for the highest bidder.
Transaction between the political parties and the voters is an obstacle INEC may not remove in the forthcoming general elections. The Federal Government through the Central Bank of Nigeria seems to be helping the umpire.
The Commission has not shown the way out of the national issue. Problems have shrouded electoral processes over the years. Ballot box snatching, political violence, intimidation of voters, forging of signatures, among others used to be the problem.
Dealing with technical issues is quite easy. But how does the Commission handle the voters? They will always find a way to reach a deal with the desperate party agents, who dole out cash to them.
Millions of Nigerians live from hand to mouth. Abject poverty is common in all areas of the country. The little the parties offer them go a long way to cater for their immediate needs. Hence, they sell their votes.
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