A former resident electoral commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Mike Igini, has revealed that politicians who intend to buy votes during the general elections in 2023 will not succeed.
Igini made this statement while discussing the Bimodal Voter Registration System (BVAS) and vote buying with Arise TV today.
Recent allegations on social media reveals that an action had been brought against INEC to prevent it from adopting BVAS for the 2023 elections before the federal high court in Owerri, Imo State.
INEC responded to the assertion by stating that it was committed to using BVAS for the elections in 2023.
The INEC-introduced BVAS gadget enables biometric voter accreditation through data uploading of election results at polling places.
Stakeholders have called BVAS a game-changer in the nation’s electoral process and an upgrade to the smart-card reader used in the 2019 elections.
According to the former REC, the 2023 elections would mark the end of electoral fraud and the futility of buying votes.
He said, “We are about to see the end of electoral rigging in Nigeria. We are about to see the end of political shenanigans in Nigeria. And so, you will hear rumours upon rumours and misinformation. Just know that the end time is here, because power has been given back to the people.
“Do you know that on election day, the INEC chairman or any commissioner does not have power to do anything? Do you know that a resident commissioner does not have the power to do anything? You could not sign a document. For 10 years, I could not sign a document.
“Without BVAS you cannot vote in Nigeria anymore. So, those who want to buy votes are going to waste their money. So my message is this: Nigerians don’t sell your conscience. But we know that in the face of poverty, a man who has not eaten on election day and is given money, if you collect that money, go to the cubicle and vote your own choice.
“That is why INEC’s arrangement of the cubicle is going to be different now. So in 2023, hope is on the way.”
