In a bid to whittle down electoral malpractices, especially vote buying during elections, Nigeria’s electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has called for the enactment of laws prohibiting possession of large sums of money at polling units.
INEC’s director of litigation and prosecution, Tanimu Muhammed made the suggestion during a consultative meeting attended by INEC officials, security operatives, and members of the Senate and House of Representatives on Friday.
Muhammed, said during the meeting that politicians often carry large amounts of money on election day, claiming it is for party agents and logistical expenses, whereas they intend to buy votes or induce INEC officials with it.
Muhammed proposed that individuals should not be allowed to carry more than N50,000 around polling areas during elections.
Maintaining that unrestricted cash at polling units has encouraged vote buying and compromised the integrity of elections, the lawmaker said there is a need to create an electoral offences commission for prosecution of electoral violations.
He said, “Vote-buying remains one of the biggest threats to credible elections in Nigeria.
“We need legislation that not only criminalizes this practice but also puts preventive measures in place.”
Also speaking, Oluwatoyin Babalola, resident electoral commissioner in Ondo State, said limiting possession of cash at polling units will make it harder for politicians to financially induce voters.
Babalola said the cash limit will enable security agencies to know what constitutes violations of the electoral law.
On his part, Abayomi Shogunle, the commissioner of police in charge of election planning and evaluation, said police are often hindered by logistical challenges in the enforcement of electoral laws.
“We face major logistical challenges, from deploying officers to remote areas to ensuring real-time communication during elections,” he said.
“These are issues that need to be addressed if we are to effectively enforce electoral laws.”
Responding to the concerns, Adebayo Balogun, chairman of the house committee on electoral matters, said all the concerns will be addressed in the future electoral reforms.
Balogun said a new version of the electoral act will be enacted to replace the Electoral Act of 2022.
“The 2022 Electoral Act was a significant step forward, but its implementation in the last general elections showed areas that need improvement,” the lawmaker said.
“We are committed to strengthening our electoral laws to reflect the realities of our democracy.”
