ANRP is incensed and exasperated at INEC's routine, lackadaisical, and unconcerned response to the brazen rape of democracy that transpired in Ekiti culminating in the perversion, parody and mockery of an election (properly so called) characterised by open vote buying. Relevant sections of the Electoral Act outright condemn vote buying with strong consequences.
Abundant Nigeria Renewal Party (ANRP) has strongly censured the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) its very faulty, unfortunate, and insensitive response following the dismal outing at the Ekiti governorship poll on 14 July, and is determined to seek legal redress of the electoral travesty.
In a communiqué at the end of INEC's meeting with its Resident Electoral Commissioners from all the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory on 20 July 2018, the Commission ' ... noted with deep concern, the rising phenomenon of vote-buying during elections and restated its commitment and determination to continue to work with all stakeholders, especially the security agencies, to stem the ugly trend'.
ANRP is incensed and exasperated at INEC's routine, lackadaisical, and unconcerned response to the brazen rape of democracy that transpired in Ekiti culminating in the perversion, parody and mockery of an election (properly so called) characterised by open vote buying. Relevant sections of the Electoral Act outright condemn vote buying with strong consequences.
The vote buying especially by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and People's Democratic Party (PDP) in this election was done in the presence of INEC, the police and other security agencies -- some say in connivance with them -- with a plethora of video and other evidences to support these claims. The ineffectual whimper by INEC after this terrible incidence which is becoming the norm in our society stands condemned.
The further tragedy of this unfortunate, criminal practice is that the two above-named political parties, which have governed most of the states and the nation at large, is that the cash deployed for vote buying is taken from the public treasury and nowhere else to run these schemes having deliberately impoverished the people. This is clearly criminal, and unacceptable.
It would be recalled that 2 politically exposed persons Mr Ibrahim Mantu and Ayo Arise had publicly testified on national television of vote buying and numerous other irregularities without any consequences. We cannot be a country of no consequences, continually descending into the abyss.
The Party unanimously at her Extraordinary Meeting of her National Executive Committee (Exco) held on 20 - 21 July has decided to seek legal redress to this audacious show of shame -- the growing impunity of vote buying, and dereliction of duty by institutions and agencies of State -- and to put an end to it. This patriotic endeavour by ANRP also seeks to expand the brea d th and depth of our country's legal jurisprudence with regard to these issues.
ANRP will also be challenging the numerous other irregularities that marred the outcome of the Ekiti governorship poll. The Party avers that until and unless elections are not only free and fair but seen by all to be so, our democracy remains under a grave threat, as well as the future of our country itself.
Sesugh Akume
National Spokesman