INEC plans re-design of polling units to curb vote-buying in 2019

The South-South Commissioner, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mr. Mustapha Lecky, has said that the commission will re-design the structures of all polling units to curb vote-buying during the 2019 general elections.

Lecky disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at Auchi in Etsako West Local Council of Edo State yesterday.

“We are taking measures to ensure that it would be difficult for political parties and their candidates to buy votes.

“We are going to re-design our polling areas in such a way that people cannot exhibit their ballot and show it to people in order to collect money.

“So, the structural re-designing of the polling area is what we are going to do,” he said.

Lecky, who urged the media to expose political parties and candidates found engaging in vote-buying during the election to enable INEC prosecute the culprits, further said: “We need the media to help us reveal those who are buying votes and call them to order.

“We are not yet apprehending them, that is the work of the police, but we can provide information to prosecute them; the needed investigation will be done by the police.”

Lecky said the INEC would create additional polling units after the elections, as doing so now, would be misinterpreted by politicians.

Credit: NAN.