Osun Election: Take Responsibility, End Impunity For Vote Buying Now, SERAP Tells INEC

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged Professor Mahmood Yakubu, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to “take responsibility and end impunity for vote-buying and undue influence in Nigeria’s elections by promptly ensuring the arrest and prosecution of suspected perpetrators of these criminal acts in the Osun State governorship election.”

There are reports of a brazen pattern of vote-buying and electoral bribery in several polling units particularly by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the Osun Governorship election conducted on Saturday 16 July 2022. Vote trading was witnessed in several polling units.

In the letter dated 16 July 2022 and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said: “INEC seems to have furthered a general policy of impunity for vote buying and undue influence in elections by refusing to prosecute suspected perpetrators and their sponsors.”

SERAP said, “INEC has quite an impressive portfolio of powers of its own to curb and punish vote buying, and need not wait for other agencies before meting out its own effective means of prevention and prosecution.”

According to SERAP, “Nigerians rely on INEC to curb vote buying, electoral bribery and undue influence in elections but nothing will ever change if INEC won’t pursue charges against suspected perpetrators and their sponsors.”

SERAP also said, “The acts of vote buying, electoral bribery and undue influence are clearly contrary to the express provisions of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended], the Electoral Act, and international standards.”

The letter, read in part: “If INEC fails to act, vote buying, electoral bribery and undue influence would remain a permanent feature of Nigeria’s elections because corrupt politicians and their sponsors would continue to engage in these criminal acts with impunity.”