The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that polling booths will henceforth be positioned in a way to make it difficult for people to see how voters cast their votes during elections.The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in charge of Anambra State, Dr. Nkwachukwu Orji, who disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Awka, said the measure was to make it impossible for anyone to know who a voter voted for.
Orji, who described vote-buying as another big threat to democracy that needed everyone to join hands with INEC to eradicate, said: “INEC cannot check the problem of vote-buying alone. It is a crime that security agents, members of the public who collect the money and politicians who buy the votes must come together to tackle.”The INEC chief also called on eligible persons who are yet to register in the on-going continuous voter’s registration in Anambra to do so before the August 17, 2018 deadline.
Meanwhile, Special Adviser to Chairman of INEC, Prof. Muhammad Kuna, has lauded the European Centre for Electoral Support (ECES) for its continuous support in election affairs in Nigeria to enable her achieve credible, transparent, free and fair gubernatorial and presidential elections next year.Kuna, who spoke yesterday in Ede, Osun State, during a three-day workshop organised by ECES in conjunction with INEC for electoral officers, heads of departments and assistant electoral officers ahead of the September 22 governorship election in the state, urged the stakeholders to be pro-active to achieve laudable objectives during the election.
He said the Centre had demonstrated keen interest and in the forefront of providing the necessary facilities, training, materials and books for the success of previous elections in the country.
