People who sell their votes and politicians who buy from them may be in for rough times in the coming elections in the country as security agencies have been asked to go after them.

Reports of massive vote buying and selling vitiated the conduct of the recently held governorship election in Ekiti.

Security agencies, in collaboration with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), plan to use the September 22, 2018, Osun State governorship election to test-run the resolve to punish vote buying and selling as provided for in the Electoral Act.

Section 130 of the Electoral Act provides that any person who pays for votes or accepts money to vote for a person or political party “commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine of N100,000 or imprisonment for a term of 12 months or both.”

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of INEC in Osun State, Mr Segun Agbaje, told Saturday Tribune in Osogbo that no stone would be left unturned to counter moves by politicians to induce eligible voters with money in the forthcoming election in the state.
On INEC’s preparedness for the September 22 governorship election in the Osun State, Agbaje said “the commission in the state is doing its best to ensure that all loose ends are tightened and that we are prepared for the job.

“We also know that last Monday, which was 23rd of this month, the political parties finished their primaries, at the end of which 28 parties were able to successfully conclude their primaries. We have 48 candidates to stand for the election..."

•Excerpted from a Tribune report

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