Kogi/Bayelsa Polls: Voters’ Inducement on the Rise, NGO Report Raises Alarm
POLITICS DIGEST – A nongovernmental organization, The Youth Initiative Advocacy, Growth and Advancement (YIAGA), has expressed concern over the recent increase of voters’ inducement ahead of the November 16 governorship elections in Kogi and Bayelsa states.
According to the report issued by the NGO and made available to POLITICS DIGEST, there has been recent increase in the rate of voter’s inducement in virtually all the 21 Local Government areas of Kogi state and in all the eight Bayelsa state local Councils.
The report, signed by the Media Officer of the initiative, Mr Moshood Isa covers areas of INEC preparatory activities, voters’ education, distribution of Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC), political parties campaign activities and the issue of voters’ inducement in the affected states.
This according to the report is very detrimental to Nigeria’s upcoming democracy and the rule of law.
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On the issue of voter education also, the report observed that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the National Orientation Agency (NOA) and the various Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) still have more to cover, especially in creating awareness among women, rural dwellers and people living with disabilities.
The report however commended the effort of INEC in the distribution of Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC) in the two states, noting that the distribution is still ongoing in the two states.
YIAGA therefore called on politicians and Political Parties to shun the habit of vote buying and encourage peace and unity in their campaigns to have peaceful and violent-free elections.
They also urged security agents to be more vigilant in detecting and curtailing early signs of any violence in the pre-election environment.
YIAGA reminded electorates in Kogi and Bayelsa states on the need for them to exercise their civic responsibility of voting during the election and cautioned them on the dangers attached to selling out their PVCs for what it called ‘a short-time gain’.
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