2019: Goodluck Jonathan speaks on vote buying, advises INEC

Goodluck Jonathan

Former President Goodluck Jonathan, on Tuesday in Abuja, expressed concern over increased cases of vote buying in Nigeria, ahead of the 2019 general elections.

Jonathan said that vote buying was gradually replacing other forms of electoral malpractice and had become scandalous and placed the country in bad light.

The former President expressed his concern at the public presentation and formal launch of his book — “My Transition Hours”.

He pointed out that voters’ inducement through engraving of pictures of candidates and political party logos on gift items during elections was another rampant strategy of vote buying, NAN reports

He advised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) “to borrow a leaf from other African countries and create polling centres in public places such as schools where classrooms were used for voting to make it difficult for vote buying.”

He added that the book he launched was essentially an account of happenings during the 2015 general elections and the events that made him to place a phone call to President Muhammadu Buhari, which doused tension and ensured peaceful transition from the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to All Progressives Party (APC).

Former heads of state, Yakubu Gowon, Abdulsalam Abubakar and former Vice President and Presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, are currently attending the book launch of former President, Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja

Also present at the book launch are former President of Ghana, John Mahama, President of the AfDB, Akinwumi Adesina and some governors elected under the PDP.