The United Global Resolve for Peace (UGRFP) has called on the National Assembly to urgently come up with a legislation that will check vote buying which has become a serious threat to Nigerian democracy.
UGFRP’s Executive Director, Olaseni Shalom, in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja, said that Nigeria had been a victim of series of anti-democratic activities and power hungry politicians.
According to him, there has never been a greater threat to Nigeria’s democracy than the dangerous trend of cash for votes.
“The National Assembly as a matter of urgency should address this national embarrassment of voters’ inducement and protect the sanctity of our constitutional rights.
“ I will continue to urge my fellow Nigerians to outrightly reject this inducement and always vote their conscience.
“This horrendous trend started off as incentives and has often being excused away as a means of appreciation and emoluments to party members and goodwill to the PVC holders.
“This obnoxious disease is suffered by every fabric of the society which celebrates some sort of rewards and often times bribes in order to carry out duty and has also eaten deeply into the hearts of our leaders and representatives,’’ he said.
He said that those that argued that the economy was bad and that the poor masses only took the money but voted their hearts were only enabling the dangerous trend.
Shalom said that vote buying had held Nigeria’s democracy hostage for too long, adding that it was high time Nigerians got rid of it.
According to him, INEC and the law enforcement agencies have shown there is not much they can do to root out this menace as evident in the recent elections conducted in the country.