Human Rights Lawyer and frontline Activist, Femi Falana, has said the
\ncourts have legitimized vote buying in Nigeria.<\/p>\n
Speaking on Wednesday at the ninth forum of the anti-corruption situation
\nroom in Abuja, Falana said since 1999, the purchase of votes has been the
\norder of the day.<\/p>\n
He said measures should be put in place in a bid to reform the country\u2019s
\nprocess \u201cin a way that we will not be all collectively disgraced.\u201d<\/p>\n
The event was organised by the Human and Environmental Development Agenda
\n(HEDA) in collaboration with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
\n(EFCC) and Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences
\nCommission (ICPC) and some civil society groups.<\/p>\n
\u201cUnfortunately, under the current political dispensation, our courts have
\nlegitimised vote-buying and other violations of the provisions of the
\nelectoral act,\u201d Falana said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI will refer to few cases. In the case of Falae and Obasanjo, in 1999, it
\nwas proved in the court of appeal that bags of rice, salt and garri were
\ndistributed to entice voters for the candidate of the ruling party,
\ngeneral Olusegun Obasanjo.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe court of appeal so found such infraction of the law, however it
\nturned round to say even those distributing were said to be PDP stalwarts,
\nthe court of appeal said it was not proven that there were winners of the
\nelection.<\/p>\n
\u201cSince then, the purchase of votes, bribing of voters have been the order
\nof the day.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe battle ahead is how we are going to reform the democratic session in
\na way that we will not be all collectively disgraced. We have never gone
\nthis low where publicly people are trading in votes. We never went that
\nlow.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mahmood Yakubu, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission
\n(INEC), said vote buying comprises the free choice of the voter.<\/p>\n
Yakubu, who was represented by Festus Okoye, national commissioner, urged
\nthe national assembly to clearly define what vote buying is and provide
\nstiff sanctions.<\/p>\n
Human Rights Lawyer and frontline Activist, Femi Falana, has said the courts have legitimized vote buying in Nigeria. Speaking on Wednesday at the ninth forum of the anti-corruption situation room…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":52328,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-66133","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-exclusive"],"yoast_head":"\n