The Minister of Communications, Mr. Adebayo Shittu, has said that the Ministry would collaborate with the National Orientation Agency (NOA) to ensure the enactment of appropriate policies and infrastructure to mitigate the negative effects of Nigeria’s electoral process.

The Minister stated this on Tuesday in Abuja while declaring open a conference on ‘National Dialogue on the Challenges of Vote Buying and Selling’, organised by NOA at the Merit House, Maitama.

Expressing the effects of vote-buying, he stated that vote buying is an electoral offence which can undermine the legitimacy of elections and weaken representative democracy.

Shittu urged the NOA to collaborate with the Federal Ministry of Communications to leverage on Information Communications Technology (ICT) tools to carry out innovative education and sensitisation, to combat the spate of vote buying and selling in Nigeria’s political ecosystem.

“We believe in innovation at solving problems and we will tirelessly pursue innovative solutions in curbing the negative effect on the credibility of our electoral process,” he emphasised.

According to him, the Federal Government is determined, resolute, and committed to reducing the disturbing trend of vote buying and selling in Nigeria’s electoral processes; putting President Muhammadu Buhar’s Next Level Proposition on the crucible for a more prosperous nation.

The Minister commended the Director General of NOA for organising the event, noting that the rising phenomenon of vote buying during election calls for deep concern because it can hamper the development of democracy in the country, and the ugly trend is a threat to the conduct of free and fair elections.

In his paper presentation, the coordinator, Centre for Leadership and Development, Mr. Otive Igbuzor, blamed the growing trend of vote-buying and selling on poverty, unemployment and illiteracy.

He described the menace as illegal and dangerous as, according to him, it makes citizens to be ruled by their inferiors which results in maladministration.