Civil society organisations monitoring the Ekiti State governorship election have warned political parties and candidates against exploiting poverty through vote buying, urging them to allow voters make independent choices free from inducement and intimidation.
The groups, operating under the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN) Election Observation Hub, issued the warning on Saturday in Ado-Ekiti as voting progressed across the state.
In a preliminary assessment of the electoral process, the observers expressed concern over reports of voter inducement and called on political actors to uphold democratic principles by conducting themselves responsibly throughout the election.
The observation hub, comprising Yiaga Africa, the Kukah Centre, TAF Africa, the Nigerian Women Trust Fund (NWTF), the International Press Centre (IPC), and the Centre for Media and Society (CEMESO), urged parties to rein in their agents and supporters to prevent acts capable of undermining the credibility of the poll.
Presenting the assessment, representatives of the organisations, including Samson Itodo, Asabe Ndahi, Lanre Arogundade, Akin Akingbulu, Brenda Anugwom and Jake Epelle, called for peaceful conduct at polling units and collation centres.
They specifically urged political parties to discourage thuggery, violence and any form of unruly behaviour, stressing that the will of the electorate must be respected.
“Our recommendation to political parties and candidates is that they should desist from weaponising poverty through voter inducement and vote buying,” the observers stated.
They also called on party leaders to ensure their supporters remain law-abiding and refrain from actions that could threaten the peaceful conduct of the election.
The groups noted that their findings were based on information gathered up to 2 p.m. on election day, adding that they would continue monitoring the voting process, collation of results and eventual declaration of outcomes before issuing a comprehensive post-election assessment.
The observers maintained that the credibility of the election would depend largely on the commitment of stakeholders to transparency, fairness and respect for the choices made by Ekiti voters.