Tony Orilade, the commission's acting
head of media and publicity, said that the
agency would not tolerate any act of vote
buying by the politicians
- The anti-graft agency, however, urged
Nigerians to vote for candidates of their
choice with clear conscience
The Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC) has said it would
not tolerate vote buying by Politically
Exposed Persons (PEPs) during the
forthcoming general elections.
Legit.ng reports that the acting head,
media and publicity of the commission,
Tony Orilade, said this at an event
tagged: “Say No To Vote Buying†in
Abuja, on Monday, January 14.
Orilade said it was becoming a trend
that politicians buy votes from the
electorate instead of going to campaign
and sell their policies and programmes
to them.
“It is a crime and should not be tolerated
and the only way we can do that is to
create awareness that there is danger in
vote buying.
“When you sell your vote you have
mortgaged your conscience for four
years. You can’t complain because you
have sold it.
“Vote the person you believe in; vote the
person you believe will protect and
provide for the citizens,†he said.
Speaking at the event, Usen Asanga, the
senior programme officer,Youth Alive
Foundation, said campaign against all
forms of corruption was everybody’s
business.
Asanga described the spate of vote
buying as alarming, saying it was a
threat to Nigeria’s democracy.
“If we sell our votes, we do not have that
moral standing to demand for
accountability from our leaders.
“It is important that we vote with our
conscience, to enable us have the moral
standing to challenge our leaders when
they go wrong,†he said.
He urged the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure
free and fair elections.
Earlier, the organiser, Olanrewaju
Toriseju, popularly known as
“Ambassador Wahala†, urged the youth
to shun acts of thuggery before, during
and after the elections.
“We are here to preach the gospel
against vote buying through music and
stage plays,†he said.
Toriseju, who is also a comedian and
human rights activist, said the event
was with the support of the anti-graft
agency aimed at highlighting the ills of
corruption in the country. (NAN)
Meanwhile, Legit.ng had previously
reported that Garba Abari, the director
general of the National Orientation
Agency (NOA), said that the agency had
perfected plans to tackle void votes, vote
buying and vote selling across the
country to ensure a credible election.
NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng We keep
evolving to serve our readers better.
Buhari, Atiku, Sowore, Ezekwesili? Who
will win if election is held today?
