House Of Reps Members Reject Proposal To Criminalise Vote-Buying During Party Primaries

The House of Representatives has rejected a proposal to criminalise the inducement of voters during party primaries.

The lawmakers voted against the proposal on Thursday during the clause-by-clause consideration of the report seeking an amendment to the Electoral Act 2022.

A clause in the report proposed that anyone who financially induces a delegate to sway the outcome of party primaries would face two years’ imprisonment, with no option of a fine.

Clause 89(4) of the amendment report states: “A person that financially or materially induces a delegate for the purpose of influencing the outcome of the party primaries, congresses and conventions commits an offence and is liable on conviction to imprisonment of two years without an option of fine”.

But legislators unanimously voted against it when Benjamin Kalu, the presiding officer, called for a voice vote.

Inducement of delegates, in which aspirants often offer cash or material benefits to influence votes at congresses and conventions, is a recurring feature of party primaries in Nigeria.

The practice is primarily driven by the delegate-based primary system, which concentrates power in the hands of a small group of party members.

The lawmakers approved a separate provision imposing stiff penalties for offences related to ballot papers and election materials.

Under the approved clause, a person who, without proper authority, prints a ballot paper or any item capable of being used as a ballot paper or result form, or prints more than the number authorised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), or is found in possession of a ballot paper or result form without being in the process of voting while the election is still ongoing, commits an offence.

Additionally, anyone who manufactures, constructs, imports, possesses, supplies to an election official, or uses for an election any ballot box or related appliance that allows a ballot paper or result form to be secretly placed, diverted, or manipulated, is liable on conviction to a maximum fine of N75 million, imprisonment for a term not less than 10 years, or both.