By Abba Hamisu Sani
Africa-Press – Nigeria. Rigging remain one of the characteristics of election in under developed Nations such as Nigeria
Election rigging may comparises the following ; stealing of ballot boxes, inflate of voter’s numbers, ghost voting , voting by unregistered voters using of political thugs to mount pools bribery of electoral officials intimidation by dominant party against it’s opponents, manipulation of election outcome through the body conducting election
Evidence bound that the Nigerian electoral process has mostly been characterized with such electoral vices.
While Vote buying is a normal activity during elections in Nigeria by either sharing money to voters or by distributing some items like Soap ,Clothes ,and food items
to influence voters particularly at rural areas.
History of Election Rigging in Nigeria
The menace of election mal practice could be traced back to the Nigeria’s first republic election.
Considering the first republic (1960) the effects of that election rigging in the western region led to the January 15th 1966 military intervention in Nigerian politics.
Again in 1983, the ruling National Party of Nigeria (NPN) under the leadership of Alhaji Shehu Shagari perpetrated all sort of electoral atrocities.
The voting process, voter’s registration and actual votes cast were all grossly distorted to produce the so called band wagon efforts, the order of election was reversed and voters registers inflated for example where as the order of elections provide that the presidential elections be held last, the NPN government decided that these election would come first.
The National Party of Nigeria (NPN) won the election with “moon slide” negating all forms of democratic norms and values as a result of the election rigging democracy was once again aborted due to the military intervention in 1983.
History repeated itself again in the forth republic, 2003 general election which was conducted under the Obasanjo’s government, these elections including the various party primaries will go down in history as the most fraudulent and equal only to a coup d’ etal against the people.
All commentaries on the 2003 election except those from the PDP government in power are unanimous in their verdict that all aspect of the election was fraudulent.
Effort to minimise election Rigging with Introduction of Permanent Voters Card and Card Reader by Independent National electoral Commission – INEC in 2011
In an effort to check mate rigging right from the voter registration point INEC under it’s former chairman Professor Attahiru Jega introduced a permanent Voters Card which was not in existence before to have accurate data of electorates .
The electoral body also initiate the use of electronic machine ,card reader as a means to verified the authenticity of a Voter card unlike before which was done manually.
These are some the reasons attributed to the success of 2015 election describe by both national and International observers as one of the most credible election conducted since 1999.
Can Vote buying be check mate during 2023 Elections?
Ibrahim Garba Maryam who is a Civil Society activist with years of experience as election observer at various level Said Vote buying is institutionalised in to Nigerian electoral system as the practice is seen all over during elections.
“EFCC ,ICPC and Police have been arresting vote buyers but we never heard of the Prosecution of the offenders.”
The activist added that ,the Nigerian electoral act identified the vote buying as one of the serious election offences.
Ibrahim Garba advised Nigerians to reject and resist any move to buy vote during 2023 election.
He said the highest money to give by Politicians is ten thousand Naira and that is all.
“It means the Politician elected through the vote buying can go and do what ever they like for four years”.
Garba Maryam called on Civil Society organizations to engage massively in sensitizing the Public on dangers of Vote buying ahead 2023 election to avoid electing bad People in to Political positions as the Country quest for real change in all aspect of development.
He added that if Voters allowed the situation to remain like in the elections conducted recently in Osun and Ekiti Sates Governorship polls where votes was sold to the higher bidder .
It is very possible the atrocity of vote buying to dominate the up coming elections in 2023.
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