The executive director, Centre for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution (CHRCR), Idris Miliki, has described “Vote buying, Vote Selling” as evil and anti-people phenomenon that must be avoided by all well-meaning Nigerians.
Miliki disclosed this at a one-day Community Dialogue on Anti-Corruption, Transparency and Accountability in Elections organised for electorates in Kogi East Senatorial District, yesterday in Anyigba, Dekina Local government, Kogi State.
He said that community dialogue was organised by the CHRCR in partnership with Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Foundation with support from
MacArthur Foundation as part of engagements towards free, fair and credible conduct of 2019 general elections.
The director said vote buying, though not a new phenomenon, was high level corruption, evil and dehumanising as it has the potency of robbing the people of their right to good governance and urged the electorate to guard against it.
He said: “It has been discovered that a lot of citizens and stakeholders are ignorant of electoral processes leading them to indulge in corrupt practices, enhancing corruption and lack of transparency and accountability in electoral process.”
A former member of Kogi State House of Assembly and ex-chairman of Ibaji local government area, Mr. Dave Ina-Ogu, likened vote buying and selling to slave trade.
“Your vote is not the ballot paper but your conscience, integrity, your right, your economy, your future. If you buy or sell, it is the human person that is being sold and bought into servitude, subservience, deprivation and denial,” he said.
