Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has called for the enactment of laws restricting people from carrying large sums of money at polling units.
Gatekeepers News reports rgay the proposal was made on Friday during a consultative meeting attended by INEC officials, security operatives and members of senate and House of representatives.
Tanimu Muhammed, INEC’s director of litigation and prosecution expressed concern that politicians often carry large amounts of money on election day, purportedly for party agents and logistical expenses.
The lawyer said individuals should not be allowed to carry more than N50,000 within polling areas during elections.
He added that unrestricted cash at polling units has encouraged vote buying and compromised the integrity of elections.
The INEC official said there is a need to create an electoral offences commission for prosecution of electoral violations.
He said, “Vote-buying remains one of the biggest threats to credible elections in Nigeria.”
“We need legislation that not only criminalizes this practice but also puts preventive measures in place.”
Oluwatoyin Babalola, resident electoral commissioner in Ondo state, said limiting cash possession at polling units will make voter inducement harder.
Babalola added that cash limit will enable security agencies to know what constitutes violations of the electoral law.
Abayomi Shogunle, commissioner of police in charge of election planning and evaluation, said police are often hindered by logistical challenges in the enforcement of electoral laws.
He said, “We face major logistical challenges, from deploying officers to remote areas to ensuring real-time communication during elections.”
“These are issues that need to be addressed if we are to effectively enforce electoral laws.”
In response, Adebayo Balogun, chairman of the house committee on electoral matters, said all the concerns will be addressed in the future electoral reforms.
Balogun noted that a new version of the Electoral Act will be enacted to replace the Electoral Act of 2022.
He said, “The 2022 Electoral Act was a significant step forward, but its implementation in the last general elections showed areas that need improvement.”
“We are committed to strengthening our electoral laws to reflect the realities of our democracy.”
