The Movement for Credible Elections (MCE) has commended the people of Ekiti State for their peaceful conduct, resilience and commitment to democratic participation during Saturday’s governorship election, but called for a thorough investigation into allegations of vote-buying and other electoral irregularities reported in parts of the state.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the Convener of the group, Wale Okunniyi, praised voters for maintaining peace throughout the exercise despite concerns raised over the conduct of the poll in some locations.

While acknowledging that voting proceeded peacefully in many polling units, the group expressed concern over reports and video clips circulating on social media alleging electoral malpractice.

According to Okunniyi, allegations of vote-buying and voter inducement in several polling units were particularly troubling.

He cited an incident reportedly involving the governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dare Bejide, who allegedly confronted an individual accused of distributing money to voters, leading to a heated exchange involving politicians and security operatives.

The group also raised concerns over reports of an alleged pre-thumb-printed ballot paper discovered at a polling unit, describing the claim as one that strikes at the heart of electoral integrity.

“Video footage circulating online appears to show a tense exchange among election officials and party representatives over the authenticity of ballot papers in question. While the full circumstances remain unclear, the allegation is serious and must not be ignored,” Okunniyi said.

MCE further expressed alarm over videos and testimonies alleging the distribution of uncollected Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to individuals suspected to have been brought into the state from outside Ekiti to influence the outcome of the election.

According to the group, if such allegations are established, they would amount to a grave violation of Nigeria’s electoral laws and a dangerous threat to the credibility of the democratic process.

“The circulation of these videos has generated widespread public concern and threatens to undermine confidence in the integrity of the electoral process. Silence or inaction by relevant authorities, particularly the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), could further erode public trust in Nigeria’s democracy,” he added.

Consequently, the group called on INEC, security agencies and other relevant institutions to immediately investigate all allegations of vote-buying, voter inducement and electoral malpractice reported during the election.

Among its demands, MCE urged INEC to conduct a comprehensive forensic review of the alleged pre-thumb-printed ballot paper incident, including identifying the polling unit involved, examining the election materials and determining whether established electoral procedures were compromised.

The organisation also called for an urgent investigation into claims relating to the alleged distribution of uncollected PVCs and the purported importation of non-resident voters into the state.

In addition, it urged INEC to publish verifiable records of uncollected PVCs in Ekiti and disclose safeguards put in place to prevent unauthorised access to voter cards.

The group further demanded a review of all video evidence currently circulating on social media by law enforcement and electoral authorities, as well as the arrest and prosecution of anyone found culpable of vote-buying, ballot manipulation, voter impersonation, illegal possession of PVCs or any other electoral offence.

MCE also advocated the establishment of a transparent complaints and incident-reporting mechanism through which citizens, journalists, election observers and party agents can submit evidence of electoral malpractice.

It further called for a joint public briefing by INEC, the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to address the allegations and outline measures being taken to safeguard the integrity of the election.

Okunniyi stressed that the credibility of any election depends not only on the declaration of results but also on public confidence that every vote counted was lawfully cast and that electoral laws were strictly observed.

“The people of Ekiti deserve an election that reflects their genuine democratic choices and not one tainted by allegations of vote-buying, ballot manipulation, voter impersonation or abuse of electoral materials,” he said. (The Guardian)

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