*Charge INEC to define “vote Buying”
The Chairman of TEKAN-ECWA Block, Taraba State, Reverend Doctor Philip Mica Doppa has warned Tarabans to desist from collecting any form of Financial inducement during the build up to the 2023 general elections which is scheduled to hold on the 25February and 11th March 2023.
Rev. Doppa who stated this in an exclusive chat with Ziti News in Jalingo today said although many people are currently faced with poor economic situation, selling their civic right to politicians will amount to consenting to bad leadership for several years.
He however faulted the claims by INEC over their readiness to curb electoral offences, such as monetary inducement and vote buying during this year’s polls, berating the high rate of monetary inducement of delegates during the political party’s primaries that produced most of the Candidates contesting the 2023 elections in Nigeria.
According to Doppa, “INEC should be honest with us Nigerians. what do they actually mean by Vote buying, Financial inducement? Because what happened during the political parties Presidential Primaries where most Aspirants then openly, before National Television bought delegates with huge sums of monies, yet no one has been tried by the so called electoral offence bordering on Votes buying and financial inducement”
“it is difficult for credible leaders to emerge in Nigeria today simple because those that are fond of vote buying have already polluted the system in this Country” he lamented.
“Am appealing to Tarabans, don’t sell your votes come February 25 and March 11, 2023, no amount of prayers can change a bad leader, but your votes can prevent a bad leader from emerging at the polls” he said.
Rev Doppa who likened vote selling to selling of one’s conscience appealed to the people especially at the grassroot to resist the temptation of collecting monies from corrupt politicians at polling units on days of election to vote them into power.
“How much will a corrupt politician give anyone other than peanuts that cannot even buy a bag of Rice, and will a bag of rice serve you for four of eight years?
“This 2023, reject money at polling units and you will see the will of God, that’s the reality” Rev. Doppa said.