Vote Buying: INEC Bans Party Agents from Taking POS to Polling Centres  

David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has banned party agents or anyone affiliated to political parties from taking Point of Sale (POS) machines to polling units across Anambra State.

Also banned from being taken into polling centres are any material that are capable of being used as inducement to lure voters into selling their votes.

Anambra State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Elizabeth Agwu stated this in a press briefing yesterday, ahead of today (Saturday) House of Assembly election in the state.

During the presidential election, there were allegations of people using POS to transfer monies to voters as a way to beat the cashless policy of the federal government, while some political parties deployed bales of wrappers, cartons of noodles and other food items to induce voters.

Agwu during the press briefing said the commission was ready for the election, and that election materials have been moved to all parts of the state.

“The commission will not tolerate vote buying. We will not allow party agents to take POS machines into the polling centres, or any other material that can be used to induce the people.

“We have 21 local governments and we have watched and distributed our materials down, most especially the ballot papers that are meant for the State Assembly elections and this has been properly and systematically outlined so that there won’t be a mix-up.

“It is a tradition that we normally move our materials, particularly, the sensitive materials to the local governments, from the local governments to the RAC centres, then to the polling units.

“We’re assuring that by 8:30am on Saturday, voting is expected to have commenced across the polling units in the state. We have sorted out all issues concerning BVAS for the election, and we hope for optimal performance.”