On the Business of Vote Buying and Selling
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Nigeria’s Election Management Body (EMB) has undoubtedly made laudable progress in conducting credible elections in Nigeria with the introduction of various election technologies and policies. The new Electoral Act 2022 has game-changing provisions that will further enhance the credibility of elections in Nigeria.
However, the relationship between politicians and INEC can only be described as bumpy at best. While there are honest politicians, the vast majority have unscrupulous tendencies with the win-at-all-costs attitude. For every step taken by INEC to improve the conduct of elections, these politicians work tirelessly to be a step ahead and this has led to a constant attempt to outwit each another.
One of the major practices undermining elections in Nigeria is vote buying and selling. This is simply any attempt to get votes (by the 'buyer' , usually parties and/ or candidates) in exchange for personal gain (by the 'seller’, that is, voter). This gain is usually (but not limited to) money. There’s been countless reports of this practice across different types of elections in Nigeria. It’s been suggested that poverty is a major factor fueling this practice, with voters assured of instant financial or material reward. The focus of this article, however, isn’t the factors responsible for this practice, but rather, one of the subtle ways this malpractice is being executed.
The new Electoral Act 2022 has a provision to assist visually impaired and incapacitated voters to cast their votes on election day. This provision, though not new, is an attempt to ensure inclusion in the electoral process. However, this provision is already being abused and manipulated by criminal-minded political actors. According to Section 54(1) of the Electoral Act 2022;
A Voter with visual impairment or other form of disability who is
otherwise unable to distinguish symbol or who suffers from any other
physical disability may be accompanied into the polling unit by a
person chosen by him or her and that person shall, after informing the
Presiding officer of the disability, be permitted to accompany the voter
into the voting compartment and assist the voter to make his or her
mark in accordance with the procedure prescribed by the Commission.
According to this provision, visual or any other kind of physical impairment shouldn’t be a reason for anyone to be disenfranchised. There’s a subtle method of vote buying/selling going on using this provision. Voters simply claim they need assistance, even when they have no obvious physical/mental impairment as covered by the Electoral Act, 2022 54(1). I’ve witnessed this provision being abused at polling units where physically and mentally fit voters insist they need assistance, supposedly because they have never voted before. This becomes all the more suspicious when the same set of people are being called for 'assistance’. In my opinion, parties have designated agents (apart from officially recognized agents to observe elections) whom such voters call for 'assistance' thereby confirming the voter’s choice and thus, sealing the 'transaction’. This way, voters that intend to sell their votes don’t need any electronic device to capture their choice on the ballot paper in order to present as proof to a prospective buyer. With the party’s dedicated agent (for assistance), vote buying/selling can be carried out without falling foul of one of INEC’s regulations and guidelines for the conduct of elections (Prohibition
of the Use of
Telephones and
Other Electronic/Photographic
Devices in the Voting Cubicle).
One way to counter this emerging method of vote buying and selling is to ensure stakeholders, particularly candidates and parties are fully aware of the targets of this provision. Anyone without any form of impairment that might limit their ability to vote should expressly be denied of any call for assistance under whatever pretext.
Secondly, voter education should be aggressively carried out by INEC and political parties as well as other civic organizations involved in elections especially at the grassroots. No eligible voter should be able claim ignorance of the basics of elections (such as thumbprinting the ballot paper) on election day. Voters, particularly in rural areas, should be well-educated on the voting procedures before election day.
Vote buying and selling, like any other electoral malpractice is capable of making a mockery of INEC’s relentless pursuit of credibility. Seeing ballot-box snatching, stuffing and over-voting can no longer be perpetuated without consequences, fraudulent political actors are exploring other means — especially vote buying — of achieving victory. Securing elections globally is a constant battle between attackers (fraudulent political actors) and defenders (EMBs), and every ground must be defended .
