A Nigerian Senator representing Bayelsa West, Henry Seriake Dickson, has urged Nigerians to tackle the menace of vote buying.
He recently called on citizens to rise against the manipulation of election results, and Nigerians have been reacting.
Speaking via a press statement made available to newsmen in Sokoto, Seriake revealed that stakeholders must take collective responsibility in confronting electoral malpractice and the terrible trend of pre-determined election results.
According to him, wealthy and influential politicians exploiting poverty and illiteracy to manipulate voters with cash and material inducements will only end up threatening the foundation of democracy in the country.
He stated that vote buying must stop to prevent the further emergence of atrocious leaders who have nothing to offer Nigeria.
“Vote buying and selling disenfranchise the people and undermine the integrity of our democratic process.
It’s a dangerous development that leads to the emergence of unqualified leaders who have nothing to offer the country,” he said.
He further blasted the abuse of state institutions during elections, including the preparation of false results even before Nigerians exercise their franchise.
He concluded by saying that electoral authorities must strengthen security at polling units instead of leaving the burden of justice to the courts.
“In many cases, genuine cases of electoral fraud are thrown out on technical grounds.
This emboldens perpetrators who know they can manipulate the process and get away with it.
As a member of the Senate, I am part of ongoing efforts to introduce stronger legislation to address these electoral anomalies.
But we must also recognise that INEC alone cannot control the conduct of security personnel and other government agents involved in elections.
More politicians and citizens are jumping ship, not for ideology or service, but to secure personal advantage in elections,” he added.
