Fred Itua, Abuja
A leading Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) Sustainable Initiative for Nurturing Growth (SING), expressed fears that voting buying could determine the outcome of tomorrow’s governorship election in Ondo State.
In a poll conducted by SING Nigeria across the 18 local Government of Ondo state, it said it was empirically observed that vote buying will take prominence in the October 10th election in the State.
“It is however regrettable that the outcome of our elections are no longer determined by integrity quotient but financial capacity quotient thus dragging the polity into a web of a mercantile system devoid of ideology.
“Consequent on these findings we urge all security agencies and stakeholders to be up in the task of ending illicit financial flows in electioneering which remains central to our major advocacy campaign titled end money politics (EMP) campaignz” a statement by its director stated.
Explaining further, it said the government should seek for a more proactive measure in ensuring that a legal and legislative framework to ending money politics is established within the shortest possible period, as it is a monster that will destroy the integrity of our elections in the near future.
It stated: “Issues poll results on the vote buying possibility in the forthcoming elections by SING Nigeria poll watchers shows that in Ondo North, voting buying will determine the outcome of the election by over 50% per cent
It said in Ondo Central, vote buying will play buying role by at least 60 pe cent. In Ondo South, he said based on polls conducted, vote buying will be about 45 per cent of the outcome.