Nigeria’s ruling party accused of electronic vote-buying amidst scarcity of naira notes in state elections
Amidst the scarcity of naira notes in Nigeria, the ruling political party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), is leaving no stone unturned to induce the impoverished electorates financially to vote for their candidates in the upcoming general elections. This is despite the controversial naira swap policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Vote buying has been a long-standing problem in Nigeria’s electoral history, but it has taken on a more blatant dimension in recent years. According to reports, delegates to the primary elections of the two major parties were paid thousands of dollars to vote for certain candidates.
The situation has become so dire that even on the day of the governorship and state assembly elections, there were reports of somebody sending money to people via electronic transfer in Sokoto state, a tactic that has become increasingly common in recent years.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been effective in reducing the manipulation of ballots through the use of digital technology. However, this has resulted in the shift towards material (often financial) inducements as a means of securing votes.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has also taken notice of the increasing prevalence of vote buying and has deployed personnel across states where gubernatorial and state assembly elections will take place. The EFCC has stated that their move is to ensure that the elections are free from financial malpractice, particularly the inducement of voters.
Despite these efforts, it remains to be seen whether the authorities will be able to effectively curb the trend of vote buying in Nigeria’s electoral process. With the continued scarcity of naira notes and the desperation of politicians to secure votes, it is clear that more needs to be done to ensure that the democratic process in Nigeria is free, fair, and transparent.
