Uyai-Abasi Etido
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has reportedly confirmed the cases of vote-buying with cash and bank transfers across many states in Nigeria including Delta, Lagos, and FCT during the just-concluded presidential and National Assembly elections.
According to the NBA’s interim report on the election signed by the association’s president, Yakubu Maikyau which was released on Wednesday, observers documented party agents sharing cash and making bank transfers in exchange for votes during the elections deferring the excruciating scarcity of currency notes across the country.
The report reads in part: “There were reports of vote buying in many states including Delta, Lagos, and the FCT. In Ward 5, Uewie LGA, Delta State, observers reported that party agents were paying prospective voters money”
The NBA stated that its accredited observers documented cases of party agents collating names and giving money to voters while some officials joined voters in the voting booth to buy their votes.
“In a PU in Oshodi/Isolo, Lagos State, it was reported that a party agent was transferring money to voters from his phone,” the NBA report stated. “Other observers reported that bank transfers were made by party agents to voters in exchange for their votes.” it reads in part.
The report added that officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) “intercepted a party agent sharing money to voters” in Apo Town Hall Polling Unit in AMAC, Abuja.
“Also in PU 085 LEA Primary School, Mbape, Abuja, arrests were made by the EFCC of some people writing their names and account details intended for vote buying,” the report added.
The report clarified that “only 14 per cent of the observers’ reports indicated incidents of vote buying.”
Noting that a significant reduction in the menace, the report said: “However, the cases of vote buying were not rampant or brazen as in previous elections.”
The NBA 2023 Elections Situation Room received more than 2,250 reports from over 1,000 NBA Election Observers, during the elections, according to the association’s interim report.
The NBA also recommended that all the issues must be addressed ahead of the next phase of the election – the governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections scheduled to be held across the 36 states of the federation.