Femi Falana, human rights lawyer,
says the courts have legitimised vote buying.
Speaking on Wednesday at the
ninth forum of the anti-corruption situation room in Abuja, Falana said since
1999, the purchase of votes has been the order of the day.
He said measures should be put in
place in a bid to reform the country’s process “in a way that we will not be
all collectively disgraced.”
The event was organised by the
Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA) in collaboration with the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Independent Corrupt
Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) and some civil society
groups.
“Unfortunately, under the current
political dispensation, our courts have legitimised vote-buying and other
violations of the provisions of the electoral act,” Falana said.
“I will refer to few cases. In
the case of Falae and Obasanjo, in 1999, it was proved in the court of appeal
that bags of rice, salt and garri were distributed to entice voters for the
candidate of the ruling party, general Olusegun Obasanjo.
“The court of appeal so found
such infraction of the law, however it turned round to say even those
distributing were said to be PDP stalwarts, the court of appeal said it was not
proven that there were winners of the election.
“Since then, the purchase of
votes, bribing of voters have been the order of the day.
“The battle ahead is how we are
going to reform the democratic session in a way that we will not be all
collectively disgraced. We have never gone this low where publicly people are
trading in votes. We never went that low.”
Mahmood Yakubu, chairman of the
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), said vote buying comprises
the free choice of the voter.
Yakubu, who was represented by
Festus Okoye, national commissioner, urged the national assembly to clearly
define what vote buying is and provide stiff sanctions.
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