The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), is advising Civil Society Organisations to beam their searchlight on party primaries and focus attention on the buying of delegates, describing it as a “diabolical practice.”
The Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, raised the observations during the first Regular Consultative Meeting with CSOs for the year 2025.
According to him, while CSOs have been actively engaged in monitoring general elections and raising concerns over vote-buying at polling units, there is now an urgent need to tackle the problem of delegate-buying during party primaries.
Yakubu emphasised that the nomination process is a critical stage in the electoral process, as only candidates who emerge from party primaries appear on the ballot for citizens to vote on Election Day.
He said; “I would like to urge civil society organisations to be as interested in party primaries as you are actively engaged in the monitoring of secondary elections conducted by INEC. After all, only the candidates nominated by the political parties are placed on the ballot paper for citizens to vote for on Election Day.
“From your monitoring reports as accredited election observers, you have consistently expressed concerns over vote-buying at Polling Units during elections. Some of you have made actionable recommendations on how to curtail the menace which have been favourably considered by the Commission.
It is time to cast your net wide by focusing on the incidence of delegate-buying by aspirants during primaries.
