July 16: Group Urges INEC, Police To Ensure Secrecy Of Voting On Election Day

 

• Condemns Votes Buying, Seeks More Turnout In Osun

Sodiq Yusuf

A civil society group, Centre for Social Justice and Protection of Public Interest, has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the security agencies to ensure secrecy of voting in the July 16 governorship election in the State of Osun.

In a statement signed by its Coordinator, Akin Akanji, the group said ensuring secrecy of voting, and other measures will reduce vote buying to the barest minimum in the election.

Akanji also called on security agencies to rise to the occasion by identifying vote buyers and restrict them from gaining access to the polling stations.

He also condemned in strong terms cases of vote buying in the just concluded gubernatorial poll in Ekiti State, urging voters not to sell their conscience for freebies and items that would not in any way contribute to their welfare and social security in the next four years.

The Coordinator said: “Our people need to be wiser than ever. What happened in Ekiti was reflective of the huge poverty in our land which, however, is unmountable if we elect credible leaders at the elections. This is the more reason why our people need to reject monies from politicians to cast their vote.

“We urge INEC and security agencies to ensure secrecy of voting and adequate policing of the ballot box and the voting area, so as to dissuade vote buyers from patronising unsuspecting voters. As voters, we also need to be cautious and do away with selling our rights.

“We also call on residents of Osun to come out en-masse and collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) because it is our only impetus to elect credible candidates in the election.”

Akanji also urged politicians to play by the rules and avoid all shenanigans that will truncate the peace of the State before, during and after the July election.