IN the last Ekiti state governorship election, the Centre for Democracy and Development, CDD, said its field observers documented 41 voting buying and selling cases at polling units across six LGAs.

These voters are offered a sum under a "See and Pay" fraud, in which a voter displays the thumb-printed ballot to a party agent standing by a polling booth.

Political pundits have said the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machine that was introduced in 2021 can help reduce election rigging, and parties will resort to vote buying. The ICIR reported multiple cases of vote buying in Ekiti and Osun elections. Vote buying did not start with the introduction of the BVAS. This has led to different concercens stakeholders offering solutions.

Recently, a Twitter user, Nicholas Musa, has suggested modifying the voting process to curb the rise of the practice in elections.

In a Twitter thread posted using on the handle @Nichmusa, Musa advised that the INEC merge the voting cubicle and the ballot box.

To do this, INEC will create a slot that can only fit the ballot slip on the cubicle. And place the ballot box underneath. With this, thumbprinting and vote-casting are in the same spot.

The entire process is enclosed and, according to Musa, eliminates the role of the 'spotter.'

The 'spotter' is a party agent who confirms the candidate an electorate has voted for and signals an accomplice to finalise the exchange.

Musa said the spotter is the most vital agent whose role INEC can eliminate by this modification.

Musa told The ICIR that this proposed system tackles vote buying while incurring little or no cost.

"All that is needed has been procured or is already available. I'm only suggesting we switch the process. There is nothing extra to be procured.

"The only work required is sensitisation and an update to the training of Adhoc staff," he said.

READ MORE HERE: https://www.icirnigeria.org/theres-a-proposed-system-to-curb-vote-buying-can-it-work/

Vote buying will have little or no effect on a GENERAL election holding in all states at same time. Cos the people who will benefit immensely from the money for the vote buying will be the distributors as most of the money mapped out for such won't even get to the electorates and the money will be dismantled by the supposed distributors

PureMe01:
Vote buying will have little or no effect on a GENERAL election holding in all states at same time. Cos the people who will benefit immensely from the money for the vote buying will be the distributors as most of the money mapped out for such won't even get to the electorates and the money will be dismantled

Fact. Secondly, politicians will be scared to release funds in the appropriate number considering the Obi factor. Already, you hear Atiku is no longer releasing campaign funds before hand. You need to deliver first.