——- Says what was once considered electoral malpractice has now become a normalized feature of elections in Nigeria.
A Public Affairs Analyst and Member, Guild of Public Affairs Analysts of Nigeria, Enugu State Chapter, Emeka Odom, made this known while speaking on the topic “Anambra Governorship Election: A Postscript,” on the programme, Beyond the Headlines on Freedom Square TV, anchored by Uchenna Cyril Anioke.
Odom, decried the growing trend of vote buying in Nigeria, describing it as a deeply rooted culture that has eaten deep into the nation’s electoral system.
According to him, “democracy supposedly guarantees one man, one vote. Is that how it is here? If you look at this election, does it reflect the will of the people? The social media and even the conventional media is awash. We now see a new creative way of voter inducement. We see a package of gala, a can of malt and some kind of cash embedded in a package and handed over to voters. It is obvious in the social media and even in the conventional media. Vote buying has become almost like part of every election in Nigeria. It is so brazenly displayed.”
He stated that the exchange of money and material items for votes has eroded the integrity of the electoral process and weakened citizens power to freely choose their leaders.
Odom further noted that despite efforts by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct free and fair elections, logistics remain one of the commission’s biggest challenges.
In his words, “logistics has remained a major challenge to INEC. Over time we see that happening. In some cases, it could be worse but eventually an average of before 10am, most of the places reported at , the officials had arrived, accreditation and voting had started. For an off-cycle election where INEC, all their arsenals, their logistics, the attention, the managerial, whatever thing they have were focused only in one state. In the majority of these centres, elections didn’t kick off by 8am. For me that is a minus. Even at 9:30am the INEC officials have not even shown up in those places and these places are not riverine places.”
He cited recurring issues such as delayed arrival of materials, poor transportation networks, and inadequate planning as factors that compromise election credibility.
Odom called on relevant stakeholders, including civil society groups, political parties, and the electorate, to intensify voter education and advocacy to discourage vote trading.
He therefore, advised that for Nigeria to achieve credible elections, the nation must tackle both the menace of vote buying and the systemic logistical bottlenecks that hinder the electoral process.