“Vote Trading Undermines Democracy” — Amupitan Reads Riot Act Ahead of FCT Polls
Joash Amupitan, a high-ranking official of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has issued a stern warning against vote buying ahead of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) area council elections scheduled for February 21.
Speaking on Wednesday at a high-level stakeholders’ forum in Abuja, Amupitan declared that the commission would have zero tolerance for any form of electoral malpractice, particularly the buying and selling of votes.
Addressing political parties, candidates, and security agencies, Amupitan emphasized that the sanctity of the ballot must be preserved.
To enforce this, he announced that operatives from both the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) would be deployed to polling units to monitor proceedings and apprehend offenders.
“Any individual found buying or selling votes will be apprehended and dealt with in accordance with the law. Vote trading undermines the sanctity of the ballot and erodes public confidence in democratic institutions. It must not be tolerated,” Amupitan stated.
Outlining the commission’s readiness, Amupitan revealed that over 1.6 million registered voters are expected to participate across 2,822 polling units in the six area councils. A total of 570 candidates are vying for 68 elective positions.
He assured stakeholders that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) would be deployed in all polling units, with results uploaded in real-time to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal to ensure transparency.
Regarding logistics, Amupitan confirmed the deployment of 1,132 vehicles, 620 motorcycles, and 14 boats to facilitate the movement of personnel and sensitive materials, ensuring that polling units open promptly at 8:30 am.
“INEC does not have a political party and does not have a preferred candidate. Our mandate is to provide the enabling environment for residents of the Federal Capital Territory to freely choose their representatives,” Amupitan stated, reaffirming INEC’s impartiality.
He urged all political actors to conduct themselves peacefully and called on security agencies to maintain professionalism throughout the exercise.
