The bane of our electoral misfortunes in Nigeria can be said to be rudimentary. Rudimentary in the sense that, it starts from the smallest of political entity recognized in the Electoral Act as the Polling Units.
I may need to point out that political microscopic unit with elected Executive Officers are the units. Should riggings start from there?
Electoral riggings start in this area. One of the implications of this nefarious acts could not be excised from the causes of political killings in Osun State and some other areas of the federation.
If it’s within the purview of the Electoral Act, methinks all Political Party Agents should be made to identify themselves at the polling units, after which an identification photographs can be taken and posted on the State INEC and National servers.
It’s pertinent to suggest penalties of fine or imprisonment or both for any culprit(s) to act as deterrent(s) to their likes in the society.
A fine of #100,000 or six(6) months imprisonment are suggested in the minimum.
Any agent(s) who at this point decline to submit himself/herself to this act should be arrested by the Nigeria Police and prosecuted accordingly, in a Court of Law.
This form of impersonation is criminal against the political parties, the citizens and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria..Let political sanity starts from the Units.
Where political parties were not taking part in an election, the officiating by such agent(s) and such political parties were nothing but political rascality and misadventures.
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OLABISI, a journalist, is the Osun APC Director of Media and Information.