Chinedum Elekwachi
African Democratic Congress (ADC) Governorship Candidate in Anambra State, John Nwosu has called for criminalization of any government, individuals or groups found guilty of vote trading at polling units during the November 8 election in the State.
Nwosu who made the call in a chat with newsmen in Onitsha described votes trading as not only a heinous crime, but one of the biggest rape on the nation’s democracy.
“We call on government agencies charged with responsibilities of delivering credible election in the country to criminalize any government, individuals or groups found guilty of votes buying and selling at the polling units.
“Government that is buying votes should be criminalized, because it shows it’s not competent.
“Where are they getting the money they are using for votes buying? It is your money. It is rape on democracy, the highest level of corruption. So we should all kick against it.
Rape on democracy
“Votes buying and selling are the biggest rape on democracy, because of #10,000 or #20,000, you sell your birth right for the next four years, then you start complaining.”
While blaming the media for contributing to the menace, the ADC boss maintained that the people needed to be sensitized on the ills of votes buying, so it would become history.
“In a media chats, one of my suggestions was that INEC needs to put a close door for people to go in there, without phone, vote and drop their votes, drop their ballot paper there, before coming out. That way, issue of votes buying will be a thing of the past.
“Most importantly, the press needs to disseminate the information, telling people the evils of votes buying that because of #5,000, #10,000 or even #20,000 they mortgage themselves for the next four years, adding that it is not working,” he said.
The ADC flagbearer called on residents to change their lukewarm attitudes to electoral practice, stressing the need for people to start being strategic instead of doing transaction.
“Seventy percent of the outcome of an election depend on the people; voter apathy was one of the major ways of rigging an election in the country,” he added.
