The National Orientation Agency (NOA), has beckoned for restrictive measures to check vote buying, as voters in affected states prepare for the Saturday supplementary elections.
Mr Bulus Dabit, its director in Plateau, told the Daybreak.ng, on Saturday in Jos that one way to end the menace was to arrest and punish perpetrartors to deter others from committing similar crime.
“Politicians must shun vote buying. Those engaged in the crime must be severely punished. That is the only way to scare others with similar intentions. “It is also good that measures are being taken to arrest those who plan to use PVCs that are not theirs. This must be taken seriously,” he said
He said that NOA was suporting INEC through extensive media campaigns and deployment of information through the social and conventional media.
“These campaigns are to admonish voters to turn out and conduct themselves in an orderly manner. They are also expected to adhere strictly to rules and regulations guiding the election,”he said.
Dabit advised voters to eschew vices that could undermine the election and public security, stating that the synergy between INEC adhoc staff and other stakeholders should prevent criminals from abusing the process.
He urged politicians and stakeholders to accept the results of the elections and implore winners to celebrate with the losers.
Daybreak reports that 40 polling units in nine local government areas in Plateau will participate in the supplementary elections.
INEC said on Thursday it had engaged 404 ad-hoc staff for the exercise
