The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Tuesday warned the electorate against the act of vote-buying ahead of the Osun gubernatorial election scheduled for July 16.
In a statement issued by Kunle Ajayi, the national commissioner supervising Ogun, Ondo and Osun States, the Commission vowed to go tough with anybody caught in the act.
Ajayi’s call came against the backdrop of cases of vote-buying recorded in the gubernatorial election in Ekiti State few weeks ago.
According to the Commission, vote-buying is an onslaught on the sanctity of democracy which must be collectively discouraged.
The statement reads: “I would also like to inform the electorate that vote-buying is against the law, and any body found engaging in such an act, would be made to face the full extent of the law. Therefore, we must all work in unison to put an end to this act, in order to protect the sanctity of our democracy.”
The July 16 governorship election will be keenly contested majorly by Gboyega Oyetola, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC); Ademola Adeleke, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP); Yusuf Lasun, Labour Party (LP); Oyegoke Omigbodun, Social Democratic Party (SDP); and Akin Ogunniyi, Accord Party (AP).
