Rita Odafe
Mahmood Yakubu, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has raised concerns regarding vote-buying in party primaries.
He condemned this behavior as harmful and detrimental to democratic principles.
His comments came during the INEC’s initial Regular Consultative Meeting with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) for the year 2025, held in Abuja on Tuesday.
Yakubu urged CSOs to pay closer attention to party politics, especially concerning party primary elections.
He applauded CSOs for their feedback on INEC’s election practices and their proposals to promote fairness in the electoral process.
He stated, “I encourage civil society organizations to focus on party primaries with the same dedication you show in monitoring secondary elections conducted by INEC, as only candidates nominated by these parties appear on the ballot come Election Day.
“Your reports as accredited observers have highlighted ongoing issues with vote-buying at Polling Units during elections.
“Many of you have offered viable solutions to combat this issue, which the Commission has taken into consideration. Now is the time to broaden your focus to delegate-buying by candidates during primaries.
“It has been noted that some delegates have openly bragged about the amounts they received from candidates during party primaries. Your advocacy should now support efforts by security and law enforcement to address this troubling practice.”
