The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan, has issued a stern warning against vote-buying ahead of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) area council elections, saying the commission and its officials would not tolerate any form of electoral malpractice.
Amupitan gave the warning on Wednesday during a high-level stakeholders’ forum in Abuja, ahead of the council polls scheduled for Saturday, February 21.
“We will not tolerate vote-buying in any form. The commission and its officials are fully committed to enforcing the law and ensuring that the integrity of the electoral process is protected,” Amupitan said.
He assured residents of the FCT that INEC is prepared to deliver a peaceful, transparent, and credible election across the six area councils.
“We want to assure all residents of the Federal Capital Territory that INEC is fully committed to conducting a peaceful, transparent and credible election on Saturday,” he said.
Amupitan disclosed that more than 1.6 million registered voters are expected to participate in the elections across 2,822 polling units, with 570 candidates contesting for 68 elective positions.
“Over 1.6 million registered voters will vote across 2,822 polling units, while 570 candidates are contesting for 68 positions in this election,” he stated.
He emphasised that the commission has no preferred candidates and urged political actors to see the electoral process as a collective responsibility.
“INEC has no preferred candidate in any of the six council elections. Every electoral process is a shared responsibility, and all stakeholders must play their part to ensure its success,” Amupitan said.
The INEC chairman also confirmed that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) would be deployed in all polling units, with results uploaded to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV).
“We will deploy the BVAS in all polling units, and election results will be uploaded to the IReV portal in line with our commitment to transparency,” he said.
He further disclosed that 89 domestic and international observer groups and about 700 journalists have been accredited to monitor the polls.
“In the interest of transparency and accountability, we have accredited 89 observer groups and about 700 journalists to monitor the election,” Amupitan added.
He noted that security agencies, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), will be deployed to curb vote-buying and ensure a secure environment.
“Security agencies, including the EFCC and ICPC, will be on the ground to curb vote-buying and ensure the safety of voters, officials, and election materials,” he said.
The elections are scheduled to hold across the six FCT area councils – Abaji, Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje and Kwali – where voters will elect chairmen, vice chairmen and councillors.
