TMG alleges massive votes buying at polling units

The Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) has disclosed that there were massive votes buying during the election.
The Chairperson of TMG, Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, expressed concern about the growing trend by political parties and contestants to induce voters during elections.

He said: “This practice is becoming the norm with political parties trying to outwit each other in the sums paid to voters. The practice is a bad omen for the country’s democracy.

“It has the potential of undermining all the progress that we have made in our electoral politics. Besides, it would further exclude groups as women, young people and persons with disability who have been largely excluded in politics due to money-driven politics.”

Akiyode-Afolabi urged Nigerians to shun money politics to make elected executives accountable to the people, adding: “INEC should seriously consider setting up polling units in future for verification of voter’s choices to discourage vote buying. All actors should step up conversations and actions on this worrying trend and seek the best way to deal with it.”

While commending the people of Ekiti State for coming out en-mass to vote, he however added that TMG could not establish whether the financial inducement was responsible for the large turn.

The chairperson added that TMG would mobilise its members towards actions that would contribute to stemming the tide and making the 2019 general elections one that its outcome could be a true reflection of the people’s will.