By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja
As the 2023 general elections inch closer, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has vowed that the elimination of the negative use of money in our electoral process will be tackled head-on.
Towards achieving this objective, the Commission has commenced collaboration with the Police, the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as well as the regulatory bodies such as the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) and the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON).
The Chairman of INEC, Prof Mahmood Yakubu disclosed this yesterday at a one-day stakeholders summit on addressing the influence of money in the 2023 general election held at the NAF conference centre, Abuja.
Prof Yakubu categories stated that the negative role of money in elections goes to the very heart of our democracy, as it
destroys the very basis of democratic elections which is that citizens should freely choose those who exercise power on their behalf.
According to him, “It (the negative role of money in election) renders the emergence of the right candidates for positions extremely difficult, undermines fair electoral adjudication, and destroys the professional and independent conduct of INEC officials and other public agencies involved in elections.
“Even more worrisome is the high prospect that criminal money may find its way into our elections through money laundering.
“Above all, the pernicious use of money tremendously increases the likelihood of election violence due to a “win at all costs” mentality among contestants who would have invested a fortune in election.
“Surely, election is not a business venture for profit. Instead, it is an application to serve the people with the understanding that they may prefer someone else on one occasion.
“But then, there would be an opportunity to reapply after four years. Citizens’ choices must never be subverted by the negative use of money”, he stressed.
The INEC Chairman reassured Nigerians that the Commission is determined to ensure a solid election management system and a legacy of credible elections in Nigeria.
“We believe that every conscientious Nigerian wants us to do so. As a Commission, we harbour no illusion that it is going to be easy to root out the negative influence of money on our elections, but we are determined to tackle it”, he said.
Prof Yakubu revealed that many Nigerians have demanded to know from INEC what the Commission is doing about the deleterious influence of money in elections, particularly the diabolical purchase of Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) from voters ahead of the election and vote buying at Polling Units on Election Day.
According to him, “Over the years, we introduced a number of measures, including the slight reconfiguration of our Polling Units to bring the ballot boxes closer to the voting cubicles to discourage the exposure of the marked ballot papers by voters to vote buyers. We also banned the use of smart phones and photographic devices by voters in the voting cubicles.
“Yet, these measures have recorded limited success”, he said.
The INEC Chairman stated that in dealing with the corruption of our elections by money, the Commission cannot do it alone, adding, “To succeed, we must mobilise every relevant national institution to support our effort”.
Continuing, he said, “We must rely on the professional and other capacities of cognate agencies in our determination to improve electoral administration in Nigeria.
“That is why we appreciate the collaboration with the Police, the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as well as the regulatory bodies such as the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) and the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON)”, he said.
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