INEC: Some politicians plotting to conspire with food vendors to buy votes

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says politicians have employed new methods to buy votes.

Speaking when he received delegations of election observers from the European Union and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Abuja on Monday, Mahmood Yakubu, INEC chairman, said politicians plot to sell votes through food vendors at the polling units.

Vote buying has been a recurring problem affecting Nigeria’s elections.

INEC recently raised an alarm that politicians were buying permanent voter cards ahead of the elections.

Addressing the delegation, Yakubu said the plan is to implement the new tactic at polling units with large number of voters.

He said: “The attention of the Commission was drawn to a new plan by some political actors to use food vendors around polling units with large voter populations as collection points for cash-for-votes as well as other forms of material inducement to voters on election day. We are aware of this trick. It will not work.

“We have had a series of very assuring meetings with the security agencies in order to ensure that processes are protected, the right of voters to vote freely safeguarded, access for observers and the media guaranteed, the election transparent and the outcome a true reflection of the will of the Nigerian people.”

Yakubu also said there are 639 cases in court resulting from party primaries and congresses across the country.

He said there were hundreds of petitions and requests for various purposes written to the commission from different individuals and political parties.

According to him, “since August, we have been brought to court 639 times as at today, over one aspect of the primaries or another; 639 litigation.

“In addition we have received 186 petitions from aggrieved parties and candidates, and we have 584 requests for certified true copies of documents.”