By Chimezie Godfrey
The Electoral Forum, and other stakeholders have said there is need for the issue of vote trading to be tackled before the 2023 general elections.
This was made known on Friday in Abuja, at a policy dialogue on the theme: Addressing Vote Trading in Nigeria: Lessons From Global Comparative Experiences.”
The Dialogue supported by the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) and the MacArthur Foundation was aimed at enhancing electoral accountability and integrity by learning and sharing good practices for addressing vote buying and selling from comparative experience.
The Chairman, Electoral Forum, Professor Adebayo Olukoshi remarked that the question of use money in politics has been an old one.
He noted that the quest to eliminate the use of money in politics has become impossible and useless, adding that the focus has therefore been shifted from elimination to regulation.
Prof. Olukoshi stressed the need for all stakeholders’ to brainstorm on how best money can be managed in Nigerian politics, warning that if this anomaly is allowed to continue the nation’s electoral integrity, especially that of the forthcoming 2023 general election may as well be compromised.
He also advocated for the need for government and stakeholders to tame the role of criminal money in the country’s electoral system.
He said,”At a point in time there was a debate if it was possible to eliminate the use of money in politics.In the end, there was a consensus that seeking to eliminate the use of money in politics is almost impossible and water of time because politicians will find no way no matter what to bring the use of money into the political equation.
“Therefore other democracies around the world have moved away from elimination to regulation of the use of money in politics, in a way to ensuring that the use of money it does not corrupt integrity of the electoral process. And ultimately allowing the electorates to exercise their choice with regard to selection of those who presides over their national affairs.
“So, money in politics is a global challenge, especially insidious and criminal money which unaccounted, which is very difficult to trace. However, in our context, the debate around the issue of money in politics is again not an entirely new debate for those who are old enough to the politics of the 2nd Republic
was time we saw increasingly the significant role of money as opposed to issues and ideas entering the Nigerian political space.
“But what happened in the 2nd Republic will seem to have been a child’s play compared to what we are dealing with today, in which it is absolutely clear that if you do not have a well oiled Godfather sponsoring you, or you do not have the resources of your own to oil your political machinery, you are not likely regardless of how beautiful your ideologies may be or your record of personal integrity and achievement may be, you are not likely to be able to make a dent on our political system. Much more than that is the fact that the use of money has gone beyond simply capturing political parties and structures yo infiltrate the wider electorate. from what we saw not entirely new from the Ekiti and Osun elections essentially occurred in the open place before the glare of most people who are observers.
“I think it raise a lot of alarm in the country, as I said not entirely new but with much greater consciousness seems to have emerged. And we thought that it is a good thing to have convened a policy dialogue of this nature bringing together various stakeholders from the political parties, from the civil societies, from key institutions of stars that involved particularly directly or indirectly with the electoral administration in our country.”
“We might end up in elections which we vote and unnecessarily choose because the choices have been made for us.
Also speaking, the Deputy Senate President, Sen. Ovie Omo-Agege, represented by his Chief staff, Otive Igbuzor commended the Rap M & WA 250 Electoral Forum, the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA), and the MacArthur Foundation for initiating the policy roundtable on the theme of addressing vote trading from a comparative experience.
He stressed the fact that there is no doubt that democracy is based on the principle of free choice, that is, the majority being able to choose who leads them in a free and fair context devoid of external interference and political influence, adding that the law cannot regulate the legitimate choices that the democratic free will is entitled to make.
Omo-Agege noted that the issue of vote trading is an unusual democratic experience, which serves as a clog in the wheel of free choice, which is the hallmark of a democracy.
According to him, vote buying has become a common phenomenon in Nigeria’s political system, which has brought negative consequences to the country’s electoral system.
“It should, however, be on record that votes trading is not limited to Nigeria, for instance, vote markets have been reported in diverse countries such as Uganda.This ugly phenomenon has also been captured by Transparency International’s Global Corruption Barometer, which examined vote-buying across Asia in 2020, and found that nearly one in seven people across Asia is offered bribes in exchange for votes. See Transparency International (undated). ‘Asia,” he said.
The Deputy Senate President noted that across Nigeria, vote trading is often an independent, individual decision, adding that as a behaviour, it is primarily driven by material context and immediate circumstances such as economic hardship or fear of intimidation or violence. Such practical motivations rarely draw social sanctions.
He stressed that it is not in doubt that the buying and selling of votes harm democracy.
According to him, it interferes with the independence and rights of voters to fairly assess candidates for electoral offices which directly interferes with the quality of governance and social contract that citizens will experience.
“Vote-trading only guarantees limited, elections-bound benefits for a few, while jeopardizing the long-term fortunes of the majority. It contributes to keeping politicians off the hook for abusing public office when elected and traps vulnerable voters in self-sabotaging, clientele relationships with their political leaders.
“The trading on votes also discourages and dissuades honest people from entering politics, because electoral success becomes associated with dishonest and unethical practices. Since vote trading mostly relies on huge financial outlay, it provides a ready excuse for fraud and embezzlement and can lead to widespread corruption in the public sector.
“To stem the ugly behaviour, everyone should be involved, both voters and contestants. It needs sustained information campaigns, community action and locally enforceable public commitments to collectively shun vote-buying. Punitive sanctions strategies are more likely to be successful than moralistic pleas. Political actors who buy votes should face stringent consequences.
“Political financing reform, and ensuring election security and ballot secrecy, areequally vital in addressing vote-selling. Most of this was taken care of in the new Electoral Act 2022 passed by National Assembly and assented to by the president.
“Under the new Act, the use of electronic devices such as smart card readers, electronic voting machines, and other technological devices, is allowed in the accreditation process for voters and in the general conduct of elections.
“Furthermore, the new Act provides for electronic transmission of election results in accordance with the procedure determined by the Electoral Commission. These provisions will no doubt facilitate and enhance the free democratic choices of the electorates. It is only hoped that the provisions of this Act are judiciously implemented to enable Nigerians to enjoy the exercise of their political franchise.
“Democracy requires each of us to do our part to make it work. If we envision a government of the people, by the people, and for the people, where the government’s authority stems from the sovereignty of each individual citizen, then what is central is an unencumbered free choice by the citizens,” he said.
Also, Hon Aishatu Jibril Dukku, Member House of Representatives Committee on Electoral Matters, in her remark that there is no contesting the fact that electoral offences, particularly vote buying, remain a major threat to credible, free and fair elections. “Any delay in addressing the issue of vote buying and selling aimed at enhancing electoral accountability and integrity could jeopardise the 2023 polls judging by the happenings arising from the recently concluded governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states and, before it, the political party primaries, where there were widespread allegations of financial inducement.
“In my view, the issue of vote trading are twofold. First is the issue of ignorance, even though it is not an excuse in the face of the law. Most people do not know that buying or selling their votes is an offence; the few ones that know it to be an offence do not know the gravity or consequences of such action.
“In fact, as it is today, some voters believe it is their right to sell their votes to whomever they like. So the issue of sensitization is key.”
Dukku pointed out that the lack of enabling law to punish alleged offenders as part of the factors encouraging the continuity of vote trading in the country.
“Now some may argue that the Electoral Act, 2022 vests the Independent National Electoral Commission with the discretion and powers to prosecute alleged electoral offenders through Sections 144 and 145(2), which the Commission has been doing over the years.
“But even the position of INEC had been that the enormity of the assignment regarding the prosecution of electoral offences is such that is beyond its capacity because the law empowers INEC to prosecute but the law does not give it the power to arrest and investigate. Based on this lacuna in the nation’s statute books, experts, including politicians themselves, have raised issues on the urgency of having a Commission saddled with such responsibility in place. It is this understanding that informed the decision of the Justice Muhammadu Uwais-led Committee to recommend the establishment of an Electoral Offences Commission to deal with the prosecution and punishment of any electoral infraction.
“In truth, if Electoral Offences Commission is established to focus on specific objectives like the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) it will have investigative and prosecutorial power to address the issues of impunity that is undermining electoral integrity in the county.
“The Bill seeking to establish the Electoral Offences Commission has been passed by the Senate and will soon be committed for Third Reading in the House of Representatives.
“In summary, vote trading and other electoral crimes lead to low quality, corrupt and violent political leadership. It helps election riggers and offenders take control of governments against democratic will of the electorates.
“We should, therefore, create awareness about electoral offences, sanctions and deterrence as well as promote dialogue among diverse electoral stakeholders.
“Just after the Ekiti elections we had a meeting with ICPC and the EFCC and the intention was to look into this issue of vote buying because at the Ekiti election it was so obvious and quite embracing for our nation. For the Osun election, it was a lot better because the vote buying was reduced considerably because ICPC and EFCC had their officials on ground.
“Only last week, we were at the National Assembly for the public hearing of the electoral offences commission and they are making good progress with the bill and we are hoping that something good will happen soon in that regard.
“I just say that with us at INEC, we are going to increase and intensify our voter education, sensitise the people more with regards to vote buying,” she said.
The Representative of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, May Agbawuche pointed out poverty as one of the reasons why vote trading thrive the country’s electoral process.
She urged the citizens to begin to have faith in the country’s electoral process.
The representative of the Independent National Electoral Commission, iNEC, Mrs May Agbawuche in her remark said,”Just after the Ekiti elections we had a meeting with ICPC and the EFCC and the intention was to look into this issue of vote buying because at the Ekiti election it was so obvious and quite embracing for our nation. For the Osun election, it was a lot better because the vote buying was reduced considerably because ICPC and EFCC had their officials on ground.
“Only last week, we were at the National Assembly for the public hearing of the electoral offences commission and they are making good progress with the bill and we are hoping that something good will happen soon in that regard.
“I just say that with us at INEC, we are going to increase and intensify our voter education, sensitise the people more with regards to vote buying.
“People have said here, they have talked about poverty, yes we all know it’s poverty but I think also that as soon as people begin to have faith in the electoral process, they’ll begin to see the power that they have over those who are running for politics and I believe that soon the storey will change and the power will return to the people,” she said.
