How Edo Election Brought New Orientation of Vote Buying - Analyst

• The Edo state governorship election recently concluded has been described as a campaign for vote-buying
• Barrister Oladotun Hassan, in an exclusive interview with Legit.ng, said it is time for Nigerian to begin to criminalise vote buying in Nigeria
• The legal practitioner said there is a danger ahead should Nigeria fail to criminalise the growing rate of vote buying in the country

Barrister Oladotun Hassan has said the recently concluded governorship election in Edo state is a charade of vote buying, saying all political parties bought votes using different means.

The legal practitioner, in an exclusive interview with Legit.ng, called for the criminalisation of vote buying, adding that if the situation is not addressed on time, politicians would no longer be campaigning once the develop confidence in vote buying.

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Why vote buying should be criminalised

Hassan, a public analyst and president of the Nigerian Youth Coalition, said:

"Edo Election is another bypass, bypass in the sense that it has brought a new orientation toward vote buying. Almost all political parties are culpable in terms of rice distribution. All these things are to buy the conscience of voters.

"It is high time we criminalise vote buying so that we don't fall prey to a country that would be overtaken by looters. Because if they eventually know that the easiest way to get to power is to buy votes, nobody would be disturbing themselves to campaign any longer."

Edo governorship election results

Recall that the Independence National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Monday Okpebholo of the APC as the winner of the Edo state governorship election that took place on Saturday, September 21.

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According to INEC, the APC candidate polled 291,667 votes, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Asue Ighodalo, came second with 247,274 votes. Meanwhile, Labour Party's Olumide Akpata emerged third with 22,763 votes.

However, the PDP and the Labour Party have rejected the election outcome, alleging electoral malpractice during the process. The two opposition parties have pointed accusing fingers at INEC and the APC.

Ighodalo rejects Okpebholo's call for unity government

Legit.ng earlier reported that the PDP governorship candidate in Edo, Asue Ighodalo, has said he is not ready to heed the calls for a unity government from his APC counterpart and election winner, Monday Okpebholo.

Okpebholo, the governor-elect, had made the call soon after he was declared the winner of the election, but Ighodalo claimed he was rigged out of the election.

Ighodalo then expressed confidence in regaining his stole mandate at the governorship election tribunal while noting that he was only hearing the Okpebholo speak for the first time.

Source: Legit.ng