The Nigeria Police Force has said that vote buying is one of the most difficult offences to manage as the perpetrators have different ways of carrying out the act.
Although it constitutes gross electoral malpractice, vote buying has become widespread among political parties during elections in Nigeria.
Speaking in an interview with Channels Television, the Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Frank Mba, admitted that tackling vote buying is a challenging operation for the police.
He said, “Vote buying is one of the most difficult offences to actually police and manage and I am saying this with every sense of honesty.
“The reason is simple, the bulk of vote buying and selling that takes place don’t take place in the glare of the public, in the glare of the media, in the glare of the law enforcement agents. Sometimes, they take place in the bedrooms of citizens and we don’t have the capacity to police every bedroom, every kitchen, every toilet and every balcony.
“But our pledge is that the ones that happen in the glare of the public, the ones our security network are able to detect and intercept, we will deal with them.”
While some political leaders had urged Edo electorate to cast their votes and protect it to avoid malpractice, the police asked voters to return home after casting their votes.
Daily Trust had reported how a former Nigeria’s Vice president, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, while speaking in Benin, admonished the electorate to defend their votes during Saturday poll.
“You can’t come and steal vote here in Edo. Therefore, protect your vote, defend your votes, make sure your votes are entered.
“Escort your votes and make sure they are announced, and if you do that, no body can change your votes and you are winning come September 21,” Atiku said.
But Mba insisted that voters must cast their votes and return home, adding that only those accredited to move around would be allowed to do so.
“It is important for parents and for everybody to know that if you are not accredited to carry out any of the functions related to the election, you should not be out on the street. Just go out there, perform your civic duties, cast your vote and return to your home,” Mba said.
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