The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, has called for the collaboration of civil society organisations in combating the menace of vote buying among the delegates of political parties in the country, calling for their extensive advocacy in monitoring the parties primary elections.

Professor Yakubu made this appeal on Tuesday, 4th February 2025, during the consultative meeting with the civil society organisations, which was held at the INEC conference room, where he decried the recurrence of vote buying witnessed in the previous elections across the country.

The INEC chairman further added that beyond the vote buying witnessed during the elections at the polling units, the menace of vote buying has extended to the delegates of political parties during their primary elections, who are not hideous about the monetary rewards they receive from their party aspirants.

Vote buying has been a significant challenge to Nigeria’s election process, in which politicians and their parties distribute money and other food items to influence their decisions during the elections. This attribute of incentivising electorates has created distorted outcomes of the previous elections. This has been a concern for the stakeholders who have been calling the electoral body to reform the voting system in the country.

Due to this, INEC chairman appealed to the CSOs to widen their scope to help in tackling vote buying right from the party primary elections, as opposed to the general beliefs that the practice is only existing during the open elections.

“I would like to urge civil society organisations to be as interested in party primaries as you are actively engaged in the monitoring of secondary elections conducted by INEC. After all, only the candidates nominated by the political parties are placed on the ballot paper for citizens to vote for on Election Day. 

“From your monitoring reports as accredited election observers, you have consistently expressed concern over vote-buying at Polling Units during elections. “Some of you have made actionable recommendations on how to curtail the menace, which have been favourably considered by the Commission.

“It is time to cast your net wide by focusing on the incidence of delegate-buying by aspirants during primaries. Some delegates openly boasted of how much money they made from aspirants during party primaries. You should intensify your advocacy in support of the practical steps taken by the relevant security and law enforcement agencies to tackle this diabolical practice.

The INEC chairman also reiterated its preparation for the off-cycle governorship election, which is coming on November 2025. “As you are aware, the Commission released the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the Anambra State Governorship election on 17th October last year. As required by law, the Notice of Election was published on 13th November 2024, 360 days before the date fixed for the election scheduled to hold on 8th November 2025. The next activity is the conduct of party primaries, which begins next month.

All political parties interested in fielding candidates for the election shall commence their primaries on 20th March 2025 and end three weeks later on 10th April 2025. The Commission’s preparation for the election is on the agenda for this meeting.”

R