By Nkechi Eze
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Joash Amupitan, on Wednesday warned security agencies not to spare anyone involved in vote buying or vote trading during the forthcoming Ekiti State governorship election, insisting that offenders must be arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the law.
Prof. Amupitan gave the warning while presenting the official register of voters to political parties ahead of the June 20 governorship election in Ekiti State.
He described vote buying as one of the greatest threats to Nigeria’s electoral process and called on political parties to refrain from any form of electoral inducement.
According to him, “One of the major challenges confronting our electoral process is vote buying or vote trading. This is a criminal offence under the Electoral Act, and it is the responsibility of law enforcement agencies, especially the EFCC, ICPC and the Police, to ensure that those involved are arrested and promptly prosecuted.”
He stressed that while INEC conducts elections, the responsibility of prosecuting electoral offenders rests with relevant law enforcement agencies.
The INEC Chairman disclosed that a total of 1,059,660 eligible voters are expected to participate in the Ekiti governorship election, representing an increase of about 66,000 voters from the 2023 voter register following the Continuous Voter Registration exercise.
He urged political parties to carefully scrutinise the register and report any discrepancies within the legal timeframe provided by the Electoral Act.
Prof. Amupitan described the presentation of the voters’ register as a crucial constitutional and statutory responsibility aimed at strengthening the integrity, transparency and credibility of the electoral process.
“The voters’ register is the foundation upon which free, fair and credible elections are built. Its accuracy, completeness and integrity are essential to ensuring that every eligible voter’s voice is heard,” he stated.
He explained that the register was compiled after rigorous data collection, verification and updating exercises conducted in compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act.
The INEC Chairman also assured political parties and voters that the Commission remains committed to conducting transparent and credible elections, noting that recent elections conducted under his leadership recorded significant improvements in efficiency and result transmission.
Citing the recent Anambra election, he said the process was peaceful, transparent and concluded within one day, with about 93 percent of results transmitted electronically by 7 p.m. on election day.
He called on political parties to mobilise voters peacefully and responsibly while assuring Nigerians that every valid vote would count.
Prof. Amupitan further announced that political parties would sign a peace accord ahead of the election, describing it as a social contract to ensure issue-based campaigns and peaceful conduct throughout the electoral process.
“We must walk the talk. Campaigns should be based on issues and not attacks on personalities,” he added.
The National Commissioner supervising Ekiti State, Sam Olumekun, said the presentation of the register reflected the Commission’s commitment to producing an accurate, credible and inclusive voter register.
He noted that the exercise would allow political parties, observers and citizens to inspect the register and raise objections where necessary within the period allowed by law.
Olumekun assured stakeholders that INEC remained committed to neutrality, transparency and compliance with all legal provisions guiding the conduct of elections.
He added that no eligible voter had been disenfranchised and no ineligible name would be allowed on the register.
Also speaking, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Ekiti State, Bunmi Omoseyindemi, declared that the state was fully prepared for the governorship election.
