The Independent National Electoral Commission INEC on Friday called on the National Assembly to introduce stricter laws aimed at curbing vote-buying and other electoral malpractices in Nigeria.
During a consultative meeting with security operatives and the technical committee on electoral law amendments in Abuja, INEC’s Director of Litigation and Prosecution, Tanimu Muhammed, expressed concerns about the growing threat of vote-buying to the country’s democratic integrity.
The meeting, which was organised by the Joint Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Electoral Matters in collaboration with the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre and supported by the United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office, provided a platform for stakeholders to discuss electoral security and necessary reforms.
He warned that this unregulated cash circulation in polling units has fueled vote-buying and undermined the fairness of elections.
To address the challenge, Muhammed suggested that a cash limit of ₦50,000 should be imposed on individuals within polling areas. He argued that this measure would make it more difficult for politicians to use financial inducements to sway voters.
